Packaging
Packaging has two fundamental functions. First, it protects our brands, helping to prevent breakage, loss, contamination and counterfeit. Second, the choice of materials, design of the bottles, labeling and secondary packaging (e.g., boxes, cartons) are integral to the brand experience and consumer perception of the product.
We also use packaging to transport our products in bulk. Our business partners produce point-of-sale and promotional items, such as branded napkins, posters and T-shirts, which we treat as forms of packaging.
Our Approach
We are especially conscious of the environmental challenges that packaging creates, and the potential conflict between its importance to the safety and image of our brands and consumer concern about packaging waste.
This is why we have developed a set of guidelines based on industry best practice, to help us design packaging that minimizes the use of materials, emphasizes the environmental performance of the chosen materials, and ensures that packaging can be reused or recycled where possible to reduce or eliminate waste.
In Australia, we are signatories to the National Packaging Covenant. This covenant is a voluntary initiative by government and industry to reduce the environmental effects of packaging on the environment. It is designed to minimize the environmental impacts arising from the disposal of used packaging, conserve resources through better design and production processes and facilitate the re-use and recycling of used packaging materials.
Actions
Promotional materials now can be printed on demand. This means the required quantities can be produced more exactly, reducing waste. We estimate that in this way we saved approximately $300,000 last year on disposal costs alone, and reducing the use of materials.
Significant strides have been made among our brand teams in the area of environmentally-preferable materials used in point-of-sale promotion and distribution, without a material increase in costs. For example:
- Finlandia Vodka and Southern Comfort now use organic materials in producing some of their T-shirts, caps and cups.
- Finlandia Vodka offers reusable tote bags as part of some promotions and Southern Comfort has recycled the brands billboards into unique tote bags available for purchase on our online storefront.
- Jack Daniel’s Family of Brands now uses recycled content materials for napkins and stir sticks. All the secondary packaging is now recyclable.
- Chambord now uses recycled content napkins.