MARTINI® Asti Features Streamlined, Sustainable Glass Bottles

Bottle redesign lowers glass weight, saves energy and preserves iconic MARTINI heritage

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Dec 09, 2014, 06:05 ET

HAMILTON, Bermuda, Dec. 9, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The elegance and sophistication of multi-award winning MARTINI® Asti sparkling wine is built on a more than 150 years of great taste and contained in bottles with an iconic shape and sustainable design.

A redesign of the original MARTINI Asti bottle produced a more streamlined version weighing close to two ounces less with no visible difference in bottle shape. By reducing the glass weight, MARTINI reduces the energy required to make the bottles. The annual energy savings from this lighter-weight glass is equivalent to taking 330 cars off the road.

A strategic redesign that began in 2010 has produced a streamlined version of the original MARTINI Asti bottle, shaving off close to two ounces in weight. The aim was threefold: to reduce the glass weight, to keep the same external shape and to guarantee consumer safety. The redesign team worked to honor the 150 year old heritage of the MARTINI brand while incorporating the latest in sustainability design.

"We are talking about a bottle for sparkling wine that involves quite a bit of liquid pressure inside," explains Simona Filosi, MARTINI Senior Packaging Developer. "Today, when you compare the old and new bottles side by side, you cannot tell any difference in terms of shape. However, by reducing the glass weight, we reduce the energy required to make the bottles." The annual energy savings from lighter-weight glass for these MARTINI bottles is equivalent to 330 fewer cars off the road in a year.

The redesign is part of a broad scope of sustainability initiatives for MARTINI. At MARTINI facilities worldwide, the commitment to protect the environment and reach a net-zero impact has fostered a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 30 percent, solid waste by nearly seven percent and water use by nearly four percent over the past eight years.

MARTINI is part of the Bacardi family of spirits with a deep and abiding commitment to sustainability. Since 2006, when the Company began tracking its global impacts on the environment, Bacardi has reduced both nonrenewable energy use and greenhouse gas emissions from production by nearly 28 percent. Building on current programs and efficiencies that reduce its environmental impacts, the Bacardi Limited global sustainability program sets specific goals in three areas to help the Company reach its vision of a net zero impact:

Responsible Sourcing: Bacardi strives to obtain all raw materials and packaging from sustainably sourced, renewable or recycled materials while maintaining or enhancing the economic status of growers and suppliers. By 2017, the goal is to obtain 40 percent of the sugarcane-derived products used to make BACARDI® rum from certified, sustainable sources – and 100 percent by 2022. This pledge from Bacardi is an industry first.
Global Packaging: Bacardi commits to use eco-design to craft sustainability into its brand packaging and point-of-sale materials. By 2017, Bacardi plans to reduce the weight of its packaging by 10 percent and achieve 15 percent by 2022.
Operational Efficiencies: Bacardi continues to focus on reducing water use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions with a 2017 goal to cut water use by 55 percent and GHG emissions by 50 percent. In addition, Bacardi aims to eliminate landfill waste at all of its production sites by 2022.

To learn more about Bacardi Limited and its "Good Spirited: Building a Sustainable Future" environmental initiative for sourcing, packaging and operational efficiencies across the entire Bacardi family of premium spirits brands, visit http://www.bacardilimited.com/good-spirited.

About MARTINI
One of the most iconic brands in the world, MARTINI® is the leading name in Italian winemaking and a purveyor of the highest quality aromatized and sparkling wines. The award-winning, vibrant and bittersweet taste of the MARTINI range is the result of secret blends of more than 40 botanicals sourced from the finest locations across the globe. The MARTINI portfolio includes: MARTINI Bianco, MARTINI Rosato, MARTINI Rosso, MARTINI Extra Dry, MARTINI Asti, MARTINI Moscato d'Asti, MARTINI Prosecco, MARTINI Rose, MARTINI Brut and MARTINI Royale. Created in 1863 in Turin, Italy, MARTINI is today part of the Bacardi group portfolio and continues to be the market leader of the category. www.MARTINI.com

About Bacardi Limited
Bacardi Limited, the largest privately held spirits company in the world, produces and markets internationally recognized spirits and wines. The Bacardi brand portfolio comprises more than 200 brands and labels, including BACARDI® rum, the world's best-selling and most-awarded rum, as well as the world's most-awarded spirit; GREY GOOSE® vodka, the world's leading super-premium vodka; DEWAR'S® Blended Scotch whisky, the world's most-awarded blended Scotch; BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® gin, the top-valued and fastest-growing premium gin in the world; MARTINI® vermouth and sparkling wines, the world's leading vermouth and the world's favorite Italian sparkling wines; CAZADORES® 100% blue agave tequila, one of the most popular premium tequilas in Mexico and the United States; and other leading and emerging brands including WILLIAM LAWSON'S®, the fastest-growing global Scotch whisky brand; ERISTOFF® vodka, one of the fastest-growing vodka brands in the world; and ST-GERMAIN®, a super-premium elderflower liqueur.

Founded 152 years ago in Santiago de Cuba on February 4, 1862, family-owned Bacardi manufactures its brands at 29 facilities and sells in more than 160 countries. Bacardi Limited refers to the Bacardi group of companies, including Bacardi International Limited. www.BacardiLimited.com

LIVE PASSIONATELY. DRINK RESPONSIBLY.

MARTINI, BACARDI, THE BAT DEVICE & OTHER MARKS RELATED TO PRODUCTS ARE TRADEMARKS OF BACARDI & COMPANY LIMITED OR OF OTHER SUBSIDIARIES OF BACARDI LIMITED.

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SOURCE Bacardi Limited