Industria Licorera de Caldas certified carbon-neutral
Spirits company Industria Licorera de Caldas has become the first Colombian firm to be awarded a Carbon Neutral Footprint certification for its entire portfolio.
Industria Licorera de Caldas (ILC) is one of Colombia’s most established spirits producers, with a portfolio spanning rum, aguardiente and other traditional categories.
Based in Manizales in Colombia’s coffee-growing region, ILC operates with a strong focus on biodiversity protection, renewable energy, water stewardship and circular economy principles, while actively contributing to social development across the territories in which it operates.
In addition to its Carbon Neutral Footprint certification, ILC is now also the first spirits company in Colombia, and among only 10 worldwide, to have achieved verified Water Footprint certification.
These milestones sit within the company’s broader framework, which includes certifications in environmental management, energy efficiency, social responsibility and carbon accounting, positioning ILC as one of the most independently verified spirits producers operating internationally today.
Diego Angelillis Quiceno, general manager at ILC, commented: “For us, sustainability is not a marketing initiative; it is a responsibility that begins right at the start of the journey, even down to where our water springs, and continues all the way to the communities who share this territory with us. Every bottle we produce carries with it a duty of care, not just to the environment, but to future generations.
“We believe the spirits industry can be a powerful force for regeneration, not extraction. What we are building in Caldas shows that producers, in Colombia and around the world, can protect ecosystems, strengthen communities and grow responsibly at the same time. Our ambition is not simply to lead locally, but to help prove that sustainability can become the global standard for how spirits are made.”
Through a fully integrated circular economy model, ILC takes responsibility for the entire life cycle of its spirits, from raw materials and packaging through to recovery and reuse, embedding environmental accountability into every stage of its value chain and aligning with international best practice on extended producer responsibility.
In-built sustainability
At the same time, sustainability is built directly into ILC’s international brand and commercial strategy, supporting export market access, regulatory compliance, premium positioning and long-term trust with global partners.
This approach, the brand notes, allows both the trade and consumers to see exactly how environmental commitments translate into real-world action.
ILC points to its ConexiónREP programme – an environmental sustainability initiative focused on solid waste management, specifically the recycling of glass bottles – as a flagship example of these environmental commitments.
The programme recovered 1,869.5 tonnes of packaging in the first half of 2025, achieving 63% of its annual recovery target within just six months.
The programme works with 85 recycling associations nationwide, directly supporting 1,820 families and creating 560 jobs, helping to formalise and strengthen local recycling economies while significantly reducing waste entering natural environments.
In 2025, the company recovered 3,277 tonnes of multi-material packaging and containers, corresponding to 110% of the recovery target.
Recovered glass is transformed into construction-grade ‘glass sand’, which is now being used to improve public and social spaces in San Andrés Island in Colombia, while also forming the basis of coral microfragmentation plugs developed in collaboration with the Blue Indigo Foundation, supporting reef regeneration and marine biodiversity in one of Colombia’s most fragile ecosystems.
These projects, ILC says, demonstrate how spirits production waste can be reimagined as a resource for environmental restoration, not just disposal.
Social impact is equally central to the model.
Through the ‘Mi Escritorio’ programme (which translates to ‘My Desk’), ILC has transformed recovered containers into school furniture, recycling more than 4.5 million containers, distributing 1,127 school supply kits, and directly benefiting 3,368 children between 2021 and 2025.
The programme has also prevented more than 5.9 tonnes of CO₂ emissions through material reuse, while supporting over 60 cooperatives and more than 10,000 informal recyclers, building what the company describes as a truly circular ecosystem with lasting social and environmental value.
Alongside environmental initiatives, ILC is verified under SMETA international audits and adheres to the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) code, ensuring strong labour standards, fair wages, safe working conditions and respect for workers’ rights across its operations.
This, the company says, reinforces that sustainability must be as much about people as it is about the planet.
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