Wine and spirits producer Pernod Ricard has seized on the pandemic as an opportunity to speed up the implementation of its Sustainability & Responsibility roadmap.
The company has announced plans to end the use of single-use plastic point-of- sale (POS) items by 2021, a good four years ahead of schedule.
As Alexandre Ricard, chairman and CEO of Pernod Ricard explained, “For the past two years we have been striving to accelerate every aspect of our business, and the current crisis must not be a threat but rather an opportunity to speed up the implementation of our Sustainability & Responsibility roadmap.”
To that end, Pernod Ricard has drafted its Global Sustainable POS Guidelines to provide guidance across the group on the materials that will be prohibited from use and suggesting alternatives.
They are based on five R’s - Rethink, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Respect - and respond to consumers’ increasing desire for less waste and concrete actions to reduce environmental impacts from their favourite brands, the company said.
With its very extensive global footprint and a strong distribution network, Pernod Ricard, which has also committed to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy is also active in geographies with waste management challenges.
This announcement therefore represents a huge step to drastically reduce the use of single-use plastic on a global scale.
In early 2018 Pernod Ricard banned plastic straws and stirrers at all its events, and as part of its 2030 Sustainability & Responsibility roadmap, the Group has also committed to 100% reusable, recyclable or compostable POS items by 2030.