Family-owned Bacardi has extra reason to celebrate this holiday season as it reaches a milestone in its mission to remove 100% of the single-use plastic from its gifting range by the end of 2023.
From this month, ready for the busy festive period, all new gift packs in the Bacardi portfolio – including BACARDÍ® Reserva Ocho rum, GREY GOOSE® vodka, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® Premier Cru, MARTINI® vermouth, PATRÓN® tequila and DEWAR’S® 12 Year Old Blended Scotch whisky – are now 100% plastic-free.
This significant step will see Bacardi remove almost 275 tons of single-use plastic used annually and has been achieved through innovative new designs that remove plastic or replace it with a sustainably sourced alternative.
As well as using cardboard certified by the Forest Stewardship Council®, the company is also pioneering the use of alternative materials – becoming the first spirits company to use a new biobased, 100% compostable packaging material in its ABERFELDY® 12 Year Old ‘Gold Bar’ gift pack. The sustainable material, made from potato starch and cellulose fibers, replaces plastic vacuum packaging.
“We are committed to being 100% plastic free by 2030 and the removal of plastic from our gift packs is a major milestone on that journey,” said Rodolfo Nervi, Vice President Global Safety, Quality & Sustainability for Bacardi. “For more than 160 years, we have pioneered as a company, and our drive to remove plastic is no exception. We will continue to innovate and explore new sustainable alternative materials to plastic, because it is the right thing to do.”
As part of its ESG – Environmental, Social & Governance – program, Good Spirited, and in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Bacardi has set a number of goals which it is committed to achieving by 2025. These goals, which are in addition to the company’s commitment to remove all plastic point-of-sales materials by 2023 and to be 100% plastic free by 2030, include:
- 50% cut in greenhouse gas emissions;
- 25% cut in water consumption;
- 100% key raw materials and packaging sourced sustainably;
- 100% of product packaging to be recyclable;
- 40% recycled content of product packaging materials;
- Zero waste to landfill at all production sites.
The new 100% plastic-free gift packs are available in select markets globally throughout the holiday season.
Find out more about Bacardi and its ESG commitments, including its alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, at www.bacardilimited.com/good-spirited.