Although vodka is (arguably) already quite useful, one New York-based vodka company is turning its product to something even more essential in these difficult times — hand sanitizer.
Air Co. has developed a chemical process that turns the carbon dioxide in the air into ethanol — the chemical compound that is the basis for alcohol — using water and solar power.
Now, Air Co. is shifting its entire vodka production process to create hand sanitizer instead. Its hand sanitizer is made up of 70 percent ethanol, so the transition from vodka to hand sanitizer was a natural one.
Hand sanitizer has been in short supply due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, and Air Co.’s initiative aims to help address that need. But instead of cashing in on the hand sanitizer shortage — like some people — the company is working with New York City officials to make sure every bottle of hand sanitizer it produces is donated to local communities and institutions in need.
“In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, we want to help our community combat a global threat. As of last week, we temporarily shifted our entire vodka production efforts to make a carbon-negative hand sanitizer. Sanitizer is 70 percent ethanol, our technology’s main output, and we will produce as many bottles as we can during this crisis,” an Air Co. spokesperson said in a statement to Built In.
Air Co. also touts itself as an eco-friendly company as its ethanol production process actually has a negative carbon footprint. The company says its already removed over 71,613 liters of carbon dioxide from the air since the product launched last November.
