Designed for beauty and a sustainable future

The bottles for each brand in the Barcardi rum portfolio are highly engineered – crafted for beauty and environmental efficiency.

The bottle for Bacardi Classic Cocktails, for example, through a creative redesign now weighs 30% less than it did just a few years ago. That makes shipping more streamlined, resulting in lower CO2 emissions.

Another standout is the rum bottle used for the entire line of party drinks. This is made of 100% recyclable PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastic. It requires less energy to produce than glass, lowers transportation costs and fuel emissions and, importantly, 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," explains Roger Van Dusen, manager of global packaging development for Bacardi.  

Since 2006, Bacardi has reduced the weight of its packaging by more than 7%. The weight reduction is equivalent to taking 1,100 full truckloads off the road – a significant reduction in the company’s carbon footprint.

"Sustainability is truly a part of the Bacardi DNA, embedded way back from our founding in Cuba," adds Van Dusen. "The passion we have is a driving force for our environmental efforts to this day."

For Bacardi, sustainability is good business – an approach that dates back to the very beginning of the company. Bacardi founder, Don Facundo Bacardi Masso, opened his first distillery on February 4, 1862, in Santiago de Cuba. He built the business on a challenge from the Spanish government to reduce surplus amounts of molasses in Cuba, leading to the crafting of the rum.

Building on current programs and efficiencies that reduce environmental impacts, the Bacardi Limited ‘Good Spirited: Building a Sustainable Future’ global sustainability program sets 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.

16 July 2014 - Felicity Murray The Drinks Report, editor