BACARDI Rum Sustainability Actions Span The World: From Sugarcane Farms In Fiji To Wind Power In Puerto Rico

HAMILTON, Bermuda, Feb. 25, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- There's a new benchmark for the BACARDI® rum brand – a global Good Spirited commitment to protect the environment – from the timberlands of southern Georgia to the sugarcane fields of Fiji.

The program is far-reaching for Bacardi Limited, the world's largest privately held spirits company, which crafts its award-winning rums in Puerto Rico and other locations, then bottles them in the United States and abroad to distribute to 150 countries around the world. "We have all hands on deck to ensure we deliver on our sustainability commitment to return to the environment at least as much as we take away," says Jon Grey, Bacardi Senior Vice President of Global Operations. "Manufacturing sites, suppliers, offices, operations, sales teams and customers all play an important role in creating a more sustainable future."

BACARDI rum production has reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 48 percent and water use by 72 percent worldwide since 2006. "To put that into perspective, the amount saved would provide a glass of water to every person on Earth," adds Grey. "Since spirits production relies on water, we're extremely conscious about its conservation."

Globally, BACARDI rum facilities strive to reach zero solid waste. The bottling site in Buxtehude, Germany, leads the way, with zero percent waste to landfill, while the bottling facility in Brampton, Canada, follows closely behind, with a recently achieved 1.1 percent waste to landfill. At production sites globally, efforts to reach zero solid waste center on sorting and collecting for recycling a variety of leftover packaging materials, including plastic, paper, glass, aluminum and cardboard.

These activities are part of the "Good Spirited: Building a Sustainable Future" initiative unveiled by the rum brand's parent company, Bacardi Limited, earlier this month. This initiative sets specific goals by 2022 for sourcing, packaging and operations across the entire Bacardi family of premium spirits brands. The family-owned Company believes that it will be a more sustainable business in the long term by setting an industry-first example in responsibly managing the environment.

It takes people, process and technology to streamline production lines, design lighter-weight bottles and other packaging, reduce transportation costs and recycle every material possible, including office paper, ink cartridges, promotional materials, plastic cutlery and drinking cups. Throughout the production of BACARDI rum, innovations are apparent. Consider these innovations at the world's largest premium rum distillery in Catano, Puerto Rico:

• Wind turbines harness ocean breezes to help power the Casa BACARDI Visitor Center
• Retired rum barrels are chopped into mulch to beautify the grounds
• Solar skylights save energy and control temperatures in warehouses used for aging rum
• Concrete from on-site demolition was recycled for use in new construction on the 127-acre campus

From one end of the world to another, BACARDI rum also holds suppliers to high sustainability standards. In partnership with World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the brand helps sugarcane growers in Fiji develop model, sustainable farms that protect the Great Sea Reef. "I've learned a lot," says Pradeep Lal, a sugarcane farmer participating in the sustainable farm pilot program. "I know this is a good way for the future. This project will definitely help me become a better farmer and, at the same time, increase my harvest."

All BACARDI rum cardboard cases in North America are made from pulp sourced from sustainable-certified yellow pine forests in the United States. "It's gratifying that BACARDI rum, with its 152-year history, is using a product that's grown on our land," says Joe Hopkins, a fourth-generation forester in Georgia. "Our companies are working in the same direction, with the same long-term view for viability."

At the Bacardi Bottling Corporation in Jacksonville, Florida, in partnership with the Wildlife Habitat Council, employees tend a wildflower garden that attracts bees and butterflies and enhances the natural surroundings. "Bacardi is stepping up and showing other companies what can be done – even on an industrial site," says Chuck McKelvy, a wildlife biologist who works with Bacardi. "Even a small project, like planting a pollinator garden, can encourage other companies to do similar things to protect native habitats and control invasive species."

Long-held traditions are a matter of pride for the nearly 6,000-strong Bacardi Limited workforce. Bacardi founder Don Facundo Bacardi Masso opened the first BACARDI distillery on February 4, 1862, in Santiago de Cuba. His own sustainable practices 152 years ago – building the business on a challenge to reduce surplus amounts of molasses in Cuba, as well as repurposing old whiskey barrels for aging – led to the creation of BACARDI rum, the world's first light-bodied, premium rum and, today, the world's most awarded rum.

Consumers can enjoy a wide-range of BACARDI rums – including BACARDI Superior, BACARDI Gold, BACARDI 8, BACARDI Reserva Limitada, BACARDI Limon, BACARDI OakHeart, ready-to-drink BACARDI cocktails and other great-tasting products – knowing that the sustainability bar is set high.

To learn more about Bacardi Limited environmental efforts and the "Good Spirited: Building a Sustainable Future" initiative, visit http://www.bacardilimited.com/good-spirited.

About BACARDI Rum
In 1862, in the city of Santiago de Cuba, founder Don Facundo Bacardí Masso revolutionized the spirits industry when he created a light-bodied rum with a particularly smooth taste – BACARDI. The unique taste of BACARDI rum inspired cocktail pioneers to invent some of the world's most famous recipes including the BACARDI Mojito, the BACARDI Daiquiri, the BACARDI Cuba Libre, the BACARDI Pina Colada and the BACARDI Presidente. BACARDI rum is the world's most awarded rum, and spirit, with more than 550 awards for quality, taste and innovation. Today, BACARDI rum is made in Puerto Rico and Mexico where it is crafted to ensure the taste remains the same as it did when it was first blended in 1862. www.bacardi.com

About Bacardi Limited
Bacardi Limited, the largest privately held spirits company in the world, produces and markets internationally recognized spirits and wines. The Bacardi brand portfolio comprises more than 200 brands and labels, including BACARDI® rum, the world's best-selling and most-awarded rum, as well as the world's most-awarded spirit; GREY GOOSE® vodka, the world's leading super-premium vodka; DEWAR'S® Blended Scotch whisky, the world's most-awarded blended Scotch; BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® gin, the top-valued and fastest-growing premium gin in the world; MARTINI® vermouth and sparkling wines, the world's leading vermouth and the world's favorite Italian sparkling wines; CAZADORES® 100% blue agave tequila, one of the most popular premium tequilas in Mexico and the United States; and other leading and emerging brands including WILLIAM LAWSON'S®, the fastest-growing global Scotch whisky brand; ERISTOFF® vodka, one of the fastest-growing vodka brands in the world; and ST-GERMAIN®, a super-premium elderflower liqueur.

Founded 152 years ago in Santiago de Cuba on February 4, 1862, family-owned Bacardi employs nearly 6,000 people, manufactures its brands at 27 facilities and sells in more than 150 countries. Bacardi Limited refers to the Bacardi group of companies, including Bacardi International Limited. www.BacardiLimited.com

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©2014 BACARDI
BACARDI, THE BAT DEVICE & OTHER MARKS RELATED TO PRODUCTS ARE TRADEMARKS OF BACARDI & COMPANY LIMITED OR OF OTHER SUBSIDIARIES OF BACARDI LIMITED.

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SOURCE Bacardi Limited