Since launching its “Good Spirited: Building a Sustainable Future” initiative in 2014, Bacardi Limited has united all of its brands under the goal of sustainable operations. The Aberfeldy Distillery in Scotland, the home of Bacardi subsidiary DEWAR’S blended Scotch whisky, recently updated its facilities as part of Bacardi’s global sustainability initiatives.
Because distilleries often have a large impact on the environment due to their use of fossil fuels, DEWAR’S installed a biomass boiler to significantly curb the Aberfeldy Distillery’s carbon emissions. Funded by the UK Green Investment Bank and additional private donors, the innovation has reduced the facility’s carbon footprint by an impressive 90 percent. Rather than burning fuel oil, the new biomass boiler uses wood pellets to power the distillery’s activities, both reducing the facility’s energy consumption and decreasing its carbon emissions. DEWAR’S estimates that it will prevent up to 6,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year.
The new biomass boiler at Aberfeldy Distillery is just one aspect of DEWAR’S commitment to the Good Spirited initiative. Across all five DEWAR’S malt distilleries, the company has reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 34 percent, reduced water use by 46 percent, and cut landfill waste by 30 percent.
Image Source: Tripadvisor.com
Born in Cuba more than 150 years ago, Bacardi has become the largest privately held producer of spirits in the world. The company established its current rum production facility in Cataño, Puerto Rico, in 1958, and now operates it as the world’s largest premium rum distillery. Each day, the 127-acre facility produces 100,000 liters of rum.
The site is also home to the Casa BACARDÍ Visitor Center, which annually sees a quarter of a million visitors who come to learn about the history of the iconic brand and the family behind it. This modern-era tourist attraction is not only among the most popular destinations in the San Juan metropolitan area, but is also the recent winner of an accolade from TripAdvisor’s community of users.
In 2015, the go-to website for experienced advice on travel and tourism presented the Casa BACARDI Visitor Center with its Certificate of Excellence, based on reviews of people who have toured the recently renovated distillery. To be eligible for the award, a venue must have been listed for at least one year and maintain a minimum rating of four out of five stars.
The Bacardi family and its management team are honored by the recognition, particularly because it comes directly from their most important constituency: their loyal fans.
Casa BACARDÍ and the Cataño distillery now offer the public even more attractions, with upcoming and recent improvements that include a new restaurant focused on Puerto Rico’s distinctive cuisine, accented with BACARDÍ rum.
Bacardi began more than 150 years ago in Santiago de Cuba. Today, the company is the largest privately held producer of spirits on the planet. Still family-owned, Bacardi works to stay true to its corporate identity: that of a close-knit organization that cares about its employees, the public, and the environment.
Corporate Social Responsibility
Bacardi leads beverage manufacturers in its emphasis on corporate social responsibility. The company’s CSR efforts have garnered widespread acclaim, most recently including a 2015 Hermes Creative Award for its sustainable marketing campaign entitled Good Spirited, which details its focus on reducing the environmental impact of its sourcing, production, and operations at every possible level.
The company focuses on five main CSR areas: the marketplace, responsible sourcing, human resources, philanthropy and community involvement, and the environment, including the safety and health of employees and the public alike.
Bacardi’s marketplace efforts focus on promoting the responsible use of alcohol and discouraging underage drinking. Its environmental and responsible sourcing initiatives have put the company on target to reach its 2022 goal of deriving all its sugarcane products from verified sustainable sources. The company has also significantly reduced its water and energy usage. Additionally, Bacardi recently created an upgraded five-year health and safety program.
The company strives to serve its employees as a place where they can find fulfilling ways to pursue long-term career goals and has enhanced its staff training and coaching programs. In the realm of corporate philanthropy, Bacardi has demonstrated consistent achievement. The company supports programs that benefit education, the arts, social welfare, health, and the environment.
Partnership
Bacardi recently partnered with American Forests to implement reforestation efforts as a part of its award-winning environmental sustainability initiative, Good Spirited: Building a Sustainable Future. As the nation’s largest conservation organization, American Forests has worked for over a century to restore forest landscapes in the United States and 45 other countries. The nonprofit has completed over 1,000 reforestation projects and planted nearly 50 million trees.
Reforestation
The cooperative effort between Bacardi and American Forests will help to restore areas of two major forests in Idaho. Through a reforestation initiative, Bacardi pledged to plant one tree for each bottle of BACARDÍ Superior, BACARDÍ Gold, or BACARDÍ Select purchased in the state.
The reforestation initiative will help to restore 139 acres in the North Zone of the Idaho Panhandle National Forest, encompassing the Kalispell Creek (Priest Lake) and Skin Creek (Bonners Ferry) watersheds. In an effort to prevent wildfires, disease, and pest infestation, American Forests will plant 55,600 white pine and western larch trees throughout the zone.
Bacardi will also assist in restoring the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest from damage caused by the 2012 McGuire Fire, which burned about 52,000 acres and heavily impacted wildlife. The project will introduce 210,000 new lodgepole pine, Englemann spruce, and western larch trees on 700 acres in dire need of revitalization.
In 2014, Bacardi Limited launched its Good Spirited sustainability initiative to increase environmental awareness across all aspects of the company. Since then, Bacardi facilities worldwide have adopted a number of sustainable practices that have improved operational efficiency while significantly reducing the firm’s overall impact on the environment. MARTINI, Bacardi’s brand of premium sparkling Italian wines and vermouth, has made great strides toward this goal.
Since 2006, MARTINI has achieved a 30 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, in addition to a 4 percent decrease in water usage. The brand established a dedicated sustainability center near its moscato vineyards in Asti, Italy, where experts help to develop and implement environmentally friendly agricultural practices. At its production facility in Pessione, MARTINI harnesses hydropower to process its grapes into premium beverages. Drawing efficient, clean energy from nearby alpine rivers, the Pessione MARTINI facility runs almost entirely on renewable energy sources. Additionally, its employees traverse the 40-acre campus via bicycle, greatly reducing both noise pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
Recently, MARTINI furthered its sustainability goals with a redesign of its Asti bottle. Although the new packaging does not include any changes to the bottle’s iconic appearance, its lighter weight allows for more environmentally efficient production and shipping.
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