Bacardi unveils ‘good spirited’ green plan

The world’s largest privately held spirits company has unveiled its ambitious plans to build a more sustainable future.

Ed Shirley, president and CEO of Bacardi Limited

The “Good Spirited: Building a Sustainable Future” initiative will see the company build on its environment program over the next eight years targeting its sourcing, packaging and operations to bring them to a more environmentally friendly standard.

As part of its plans Bacardi has set a target of sourcing 100 percent of sugarcane used in its production from certified sustainable sources, a pledge that Bacardi have said is an “industry first”.

The company has also committed to reducing the weight of its packaging by 10% by 2017, and by 15% by 2022, to make its packaging more environmentally friendly.

Operationally Bacardi have said its goal is to reduce water use by 55% and greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2017.

In addition to this, Bacardi plans to eliminate landfill waste at all of its production sites by 2022.

Recently, at a Bacardi distillery in Puerto Rico, demolition crews recycled more than 150 truckloads of concrete to be reused in the construction of new blending facilities.

Ed Shirley, president and CEO of Bacardi Limited, said: “Protecting the natural resources we use to create our brands, at every

step along the value chain, is central to our corporate responsibility.”

“We’ve always set the bar high. Now, we’re taking our solid, sustainable foundation to the next level.”

Since the Company began tracking its global impacts on the environment in 2006, Bacardi has reduced energy use by more than 25 percent and water use by 54 percent. “Bacardi considers global environmental innovation part of its DNA,” says

Eric Kraus, senior vice president and chief communications and corporate affairs officer who leads Bacardi corporate social responsibility initiatives, said: “Our goal is to return to the environment at least as much as we take away. We’re setting a sustainability standard for others in the spirits industry to follow.”

Bacardi was founded by Don Facundo Bacardí in 1862 when the company’s first distillery opened in Santiago de Cuba.

Its portfolio now includes more than 200 brands and labels including Bacardi rum, Grey Goose vodka and Bombay Sapphire gin.