Bulleit Frontier Whiskey Kicks Off Glass Recycling, 'Don't Trash Glass,' at Kentucky Distillery
Bulleit Frontier Whiskey announces the launch of the first phase of the successful 'Don't Trash Glass' program in Kentucky. 'Don't Trash Glass' is a bar, restaurant and local business glass recycling program in collaboration with the Glass Packaging Institute and GlassKing Recovery & Recycling to collect used glass bottles and improve regional recycling rates.
As a brand that relies on natural resources to produce quality whiskeys, Bulleit is dedicated to becoming 'sustainable by design.' This means pioneering sustainable practices in every facet of the business to help restore and replenish the resources that go into its whiskeys. The phase one expansion of 'Don't Trash Glass' into Bulleit's home state of Kentucky will further this commitment, especially as Kentucky has one of the lowest glass recycling rates in the nation, 15%*, well below the overall 31.3% national average recycling rate in America**.
"At Bulleit, we're always looking for innovative ways to improve both our production, and whiskey offerings," said Jenika Newsum, Brand Manager at Bulleit. "We owe the success of the first iteration of 'Don't Trash Glass' in Chicago to the amazing bars, restaurants and local business communities who share our common goal of reducing our environmental impact, and we're thrilled to bring this program home to Kentucky to make a difference in our local communities."
The 'Don't Trash Glass' program has collected 2.2 million pounds of glass in Illinois, and is set to continue to grow in popularity as it expands through Kentucky. Local businesses interested in enrolling in 'Don't Trash Glass' can find more information here.
Beyond introducing 'Don't Trash Glass' to this key state, since 2019, Diageo has invested nearly $290 million in Kentucky, and its operations support over 1,700 jobs in the state across the distribution, retail and hospitality sectors.
To kick off this program, visitors are encouraged to bring their glass bottles to the Bulleit Distilling Co. Glass Recycling Center from Wednesdays to Saturdays from 10:00am to 5:00pm, and on Sundays from 11:30am to 5:00pm. The Glass Recycling Center is located at the front entrance of the Visitor's Center. Participants can take a photo of themselves recycling their glass bottles and post it to their public Instagram accounts to be entered to win two general admission tickets to the Bourbon & Beyond Festival from September 21-22, 2024 in Louisville. The social media program will run from April 22, 2024 at 12:01am ET, to June 30, 2024 at 11:59pm ET. You must follow and tag @bulleit and use the hashtag #BulleitxDontTrashGlassGiveaway to enter***.
Sustainability at Bulleit Frontier Whiskey
Bulleit's dedication to becoming 'sustainable by design' includes innovating in grain sourcing, production, and packaging. With the design of its Bulleit American Single Malt, Bulleit showcases a sustainably-minded evolution of its trademark bottle with a striking and unique green hue, crafted with post-consumer recycled glass.
Bulleit also brings its 'sustainable-by-design' commitment to life in its distilleries. In 2017, Bulleit opened its state-of-the-art distillery in Shelbyville, KY. Later, in 2021, Bulleit began production at Diageo's first carbon-neutral distillery, located in Lebanon, KY. Designed with sustainability at its core, the distillery operates using 100% renewable energy, and is built to ensure that fossil fuels are not used during production. Bulleit also continues its partnership with nonprofit American Forests to plant and restore 2.5 million white oak trees by 2026. Replenishing this natural resource is necessary for the ongoing creation of whiskey barrels, to age Bulleit Frontier Whiskey.
Recently, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) selected Diageo North America to begin award negotiations of up to $75 million in funds to support the electrification of two production sites – including the Shelbyville, Kentucky production site, with the goal of making it carbon neutral by 2026.
Society 2030: Spirit of Progress
'Don't Trash Glass' signifies a larger shift from Diageo to improve circularity and reduce waste by increasing recycled content in its packaging. These efforts are key pillars of Diageo's approach to sustainability, outlined in its ten-year action plan: 'Society 2030: Spirit of Progress.'
*According to a 2023 "50 States of Recycling" report
**Per U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) statistics
***NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Must be a U.S. resident, 21+ to enter. DO NOT SHARE PHOTO WITH PERSONS WITH ANYONE UNDER LEGAL DRINKING AGE. Winner selected at random. Winner's guest must be 21+. Alcohol not part of prize. Subject to Official Rules available @bulleit via link in bio. {Not sponsored by Instagram.} Sponsor: Diageo Americas, Inc., New York, NY. Please Drink Responsibly. The Bulleit Distilling Co., Louisville, KY
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