BACARDI Rum Takes Concrete Approach To Achieve Zero Waste

22 Apr 2014 --- Bacardi Limited is raising the bar on environmental sustainability, site by site. The high standards are evident at the BACARDI rum distillery in Catano, Puerto Rico, where the Company recently constructed three new aging warehouses using tons of recycled concrete.

The ambitious project – at the world's largest premium rum distillery – required demolition of six older structures on the 127-acre campus just outside San Juan. In a major cost- and environment-saving move, construction crews recycled the more than 2,300 tons of rubble, amounting to 150 truckloads of concrete.

"We took all the rubble from the demolition and reused it as backfill material in building our new warehouses," says Julio Torruella, Project Director for Bacardi in Puerto Rico. "This was a zero-waste project designed to reuse steel and concrete, rather than sending material to the landfill."

This action eliminated both landfill waste and the need to buy new materials for the buildings. As part of its sustainability program, Bacardi aims to eliminate landfill waste at all of its production sites by 2022.

"On this Earth Day, Bacardi celebrates all achievements that protect the environment as we salute our Company's great strides in building a more sustainable future," says Stuart Lowthian, Global Technical Director with responsibility for the operational efficiencies at Bacardi facilities globally.

Building on current programs that reduce the Company's impact on the environment, the Bacardi Limited "Good Spirited" 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 percent of the sugarcane-derived products used to make BACARDI rum from certified, sustainable sources – and 100 percent 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 percent; the goal is to achieve a 15 percent reduction 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 percent and GHG emissions by 50 percent.