Komos & Sustainability
Tequila Komos, together with their distillery partners, are working to build sustainability practices in Tequila, Mexico.
Repurposing Agave Waste
We have partnered with our distillery partners to create an environmental not-for-profit organization which repurposes byproduct waste from tequila production, turning it into adobe bricks. The bricks will then be given to the community to build housing and other local infrastructure projects such as hospitals and schools.
The project expands upon our CEO, Richard Betts’, previous work in Oaxaca, where after being struck by the amount of waste in the agave spirit production process (as much as 15lbs of fiber waste (bagazo) and 10L of liquid waste (vinaza) for every 750ml bottle produced) he created a pioneering process of creating adobe bricks hydrated with some of the vinasa and reinforced with spent bagazo. These bricks were then given back to the local community to build housing and infrastructure.
Supporting the Tequila Community
The bricks are being produced onsite at Orendain’s La Mexicana distillery, the number one visited distillery in Mexico. The distillery’s hands-on visitors center will showcase the bricks initiative and function as a teaching center. Guests will also have the opportunity to make donations to further fund projects in the community.
Additionally, we have partnered with Iteso Universidad, a local university, where students receive college credits for their work with the project. The great minds from this next generation will help us continue to innovate and further the reach of our sustainability initiatives.
The Future of Tequila
The heart of this endeavor is to implement sustainable solutions that have a truly significant impact on the well-being of individuals and the local community. A number of other distilleries in the Tequila region have already begun to join us, leading to what will be the largest sustainability initiative in Tequila, Mexico.
We at Komos and Orendain are so excited about what this project will mean for the community of Tequila and beyond.