“Sustainability is truly a part of the Bacardi DNA, embedded way back from our founding in Cuba. The passion we have is a driving force for our environmental efforts to this day,” Roger Van Dusen, manager of global packaging development for Bacardi, has stated.
And yes, Bacardi’s foundation was a sustainability initiative. Bacardi founder, Don Facundo Bacardí Massó, opened his first distillery on February 4, 1862, in Santiago de Cuba and built Bacardi rum on a challenge from the Spanish government to reduce surplus amounts of molasses in Cuba.
Since 2006, when it began reporting its global impacts on the environment, Bacardi has reduced the weight of its entire brand portfolio packaging by more than 7%. The weight reduction is equivalent to taking 1,100 full truckloads off the road – a significant reduction in the Bacardi carbon footprint. Bacardi has also reduced its energy use by nearly 28% since 2006, and decreased its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 28.5%.
Its US boxes begin as wood from mature tress harvested in Georgia. Every cardboard container used for packaging in North America originates from a sustainable forest. Harvested trees provide pulp for the recyclable cardboard cases – close to 10 million a year – and all receive endorsement from Forest Stewardship Council, Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification, or Sustainable Forestry Initiative.
The way containers are stacked and loaded onto transport trucks has been recently streamlined. Fewer trucks deliver the same number of bottles, which allows significant savings to be made in terms of carbon footprint.
"At Bacardi, even the corrugated cardboard cases used to ship our product play a role," Bacardi rum brand director, Kevin Oglesby, stated. "They are designed to protect the bottles as well as reduce the environmental impact of our packaging."
And the bottles?
The Bacardi Classic Cocktails bottle now weighs 30% less than it did a few years ago. This streamlines shipping, with lower CO2 emissions the result.
The Bacardi rum bottle used for the entire line of party drinks is made of 100% recyclable PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastic. It also requires less energy to produce than glass, lowers transportation costs and fuel emissions and is safer than traditional glass for on-the-go venues.
“Since glass should not be used around the pool, on a boat or at many public events, we redesigned the Bacardi Party Drinks packaging and were able to reduce the weight by 90% using PET,” Van Dusen explained.
The overarching vision of the Bacardi Limited Good Spirited sustainability platform is to return to the environment as least as much as it takes away. The company has pledged to use eco-friendly design in its brand packaging and point-of-sale materials.
The Good Spirited program has also set specific goals in three areas:
• Responsible Sourcing: Bacardi strives to obtain all raw materials and packaging from sustainably sourced, renewable or recycled materials while maintaining or enhancing the economic status of growers and suppliers. By 2017, the goal is to obtain 40% of the sugarcane-derived products used to make Bacardi rum from certified, sustainable sources – and 100% by 2022. This pledge from Bacardi is an industry first.
• Global Packaging: Bacardi commits to use eco-design to craft sustainability into its brand packaging and point-of-sale materials. By 2017, Bacardi plans to reduce the weight of its packaging by 10% and achieve 15% by 2022.
• Operational Efficiencies: Bacardi continues to focus on reducing water use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions with a 2017 goal to cut water use by 55% and GHG emissions by 50%. In addition, Bacardi aims to eliminate landfill waste at all of its production sites by 2022.
