Diageo North America launches 100% rPET whiskey bottle
Today Diageo North America announces that its blended American whiskey Seagram’s 7 Crown bottles will be made from 100% recycled plastic (rPET). The move is a first for the brand and for Diageo.
Building on a decade long commitment to making its packaging more sustainable, Diageo North America will remove virgin plastic from Seagram’s 7 Crown bottles across all its PET formats: 1.75l, 750ml, 375ml and 200ml. This change is intended to reduce the use of virgin plastic by almost 1000 t/a – the equivalent of removing 100 million 500ml plastic bottles.
The new bottles will be on shelf across the Seagram’s 7 Crown range in the United States from the end of June 2020. A variety of the brand’s formats in glass bottles will remain alongside the new recycled PET bottles. As stated on the product’s label, Diageo encourages consumers to recycle so the material can be used again for bottles or other purposes.
Last year, Diageo announced an investment to reduce the amount of plastics used in its beer packaging operations. It was followed by a Guinness Open Gate Brewery announcement that all Baltimore-brewed limited release canned multipacks available for purchase at the brewery will be sold in ecofriendly carriers as an alternative to the standard plastic rings typically used for beer. These solutions bring Diageo closer to its ambitious targets for use of plastics. In 2018, Diageo announced new plastics targets for 2025 and beyond. Its targets aim to ensure that 100% of plastics used are designed to be widely recyclable, or reusable or compostable, and made from recycled material. In December 2017, Diageo committed to phasing out the use of plastic straws and stirrers from its offices, events, promotions, advertising and marketing globally – and advocates the same to its partners and customers. Diageo is pleased to be a signatory to Ellen MacArthur New Plastics Economy Global Commitment.
