Distilleries in New York City have decided to make the most of their waste alcohol to create and give away hand sanitizer free with any purchase from the distillery to help people fight the corona virus. According to an article published in Patch, Catizone distillers in Brooklyn found a way to use their leftover ethanol to create hand sanitizer that they say is hospital-grade.
The article states that “The free hand soap that Catizone includes with each purchase is the same product that would be used at his distillery for sanitizer normally, but it has been modified to be more skin contact-friendly.”
This is a good example of how waste management can be utilized to not only prevent pollution, but also increase safety and health in the community. In the article, the distillery explains that the ethanol used to create this hand sanitizer is no longer able to be consumed, which is why it is considered to be “waste alcohol.”
Due to the increased need of hand santitizer with the COVID 19 outbreak, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau announced that distilleries are authorized to develop and sell hand sanitizer as of March 18th, 2020.
