Pernod Ricard, makers of the world’s leading Irish whiskey, Jameson, was the winner of the Amorim Sustainability Award at the recent 2014 Drinks Business Green Awards.The judging panel – which included respected industry figures from the Fairtrade Foundation – took into consideration factors such as waste management practices, recycling efforts and companies’ achievements in reducing their environmental impact when judging the entries, with Irish Distillers coming top in the spirits category.
As one of the founding participants of the Bord Bia Origin Green initiative – an ongoing voluntary sustainability development programme that aims to demonstrate the commitment of Irish food and drink manufacturers to operating sustainably – Irish Distillers is one ofIreland’s most environmentally responsible companies. Its three-year Bord Bia Origin Green plan includes targets such as a 19% reduction in energy use, a 3% cut in water use, and the promotion of local biodiversity – all of which are on track*. In addition 20% of the recent Eur100 million investment in the company’s Midleton Distillery was committed to achieving excellence in sustainable production processes.
Anna Malmhake, chief executive of Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard, comments: “Irish Distillers is committed to improving sustainability at all stages of the production of our family of Irish whiskeys, and this became integral to the recent expansion of the Midleton Distillery. To be recognised by the industry for our efforts to meet the goals set with Bord Bia is testament to our talented craftsmen at Midleton, who have embraced modern, innovative technology to reduce our environmental impact while maintaining the quality of the spirit that we are famous for.”
Irish Distillers is renowned for its work to reduce its environmental impact. The Midleton Distillery has reduced its carbon footprint by 55% over the past 20 years and has cut energy consumption by 42% in the last ten years. The company recycles 98% of all packaging waste from its Dublin bottling plant and has recently re-designed the Jameson packaging range to weigh 30% less, saving more than 1,500 tonnes of glass weight.
