Hamilton, Bermuda-based Bacardi Ltd. and Seattle-based nonprofit Lonely Whale have joined forces to help rid the environment of single-use plastic and to eliminate one billion single-use plastic straws by 2020, the companies said. They are focused on bringing forth courageous ideas that positively impact the health of the world’s oceans, they add.

Through a series of corporate and brand collaborations, events and calls-to-action around the world, Bacardi will encourage consumers, customers, and all those looking to lend their ideas and voices to the initiative, to join the campaign entitled hashtag #TheFutureDoesntSuck.

“Engaging our accounts and our consumers in the reduction of single-use plastic is a critical next step in helping to put an end to plastic pollution,” said Rick Wilson, senior vice president of Corporate Responsibility for Bacardi, in a statement. “Single-use plastic items are among the most collected pieces of trash in our oceans, and we are urging our consumers to add ‘No plastic straw, please’ to every drink order so together we can make impactful change.”

Bacardi also announced it is continuing to review its global supply chain, with the aim of removing non-essential, non-recyclable single-use plastic waste, it says

“In 2016, Bacardi led the drinks industry with the first #NoStraws campaign focusing on eliminating single-use plastic straw from its cocktails. In 2017, Lonely Whale amplified this early leadership, creating one of the most celebrated global movements around the single-use plastic straw with our Strawless Ocean initiative to remove 500 million plastic straws from the U.S. waste stream,” said Dune Ives, executive director of Lonely Whale, in a statement

“Now in 2018, we celebrate the combined power of Bacardi and Lonely Whale to reduce the single-use plastic straw population by one billion by 2020 in what we believe will become one of the most impactful environmental campaigns of this decade,” Ives added. 

The hashtag #TheFutureDoesntSuck formally kicks off in London, England, where the rum brand and  Lonely Whale will mobilize consumers and businesses to work together towards the goal of achieving a radical reduction of single-use plastic straw consumption throughout the city. The campaign is supported with a series of illustrations that communicate the devastating impact of single-use plastic straws on the world’s oceans, it says.

The rum brand also will eliminate single-use plastic straws from branded events, music activations, and on its Rum Truck while committing to use biodegradable paper cups across the UK activations, it says. In addition, BACARDÍ in the UK will donate proceeds of ticket sales from its Casa Bacardi music events, taking place throughout June and July in London, Manchester, and Birmingham, to the Lonely Whale’s Strawless Ocean initiative. This fall, activity will continue in North America as the rum brand activates the movement at all its major music activations.

In support of the collaboration, the global headquarters of Bacardi is launching a new training program for distributor partners and on-premise locations that offer alternatives to plastic straws. In the United States, where it’s been reported that approximately 500 million plastic straws are used and discarded each day, Bacardi will continue to partner with national chains and independent accounts to promote plastic-free, marine-friendly straw, or strawless options for cocktails.

In the future, Bacardi and Lonely Whale will expand the program in China and focus on programs with 10 leaders in the hospitality and spirits industry to drive adoption of the pledge.

“Every day we have an army of people walking into bars and restaurants around the world. We share this campaign with our partners and people working the front-line, those who want to make their voice and support for eliminating single-use plastics heard,” added John Burke, chief marketing officer for Bacardi globally. “Just as importantly, we want to raise the table stakes. Our focus for the past two years has been leading the industry charge with our #NoStraws pledge and now is the time to review the larger issue of single-use plastic in the greater Bacardi world to determine how and where we can truly make a bigger difference.”

Ives added: “… Straws are just the beginning. Our engagement with Bacardi promises to attract, surprise and educate individuals across all demographics and geographies and encourage them, as Bacardi is doing, to go beyond the straw and work collaboratively to ensure #TheFutureDoesntSuck.”

Both Bacardi and Lonely Whale are supportive of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for 2030, comprised of goals and targets set to stimulate action in areas of critical importance for both humanity and the planet.

To join the global campaign, visit www.thefuturedoesntsuck.org. There, individuals can declare their commitment to ensuring hashtag #TheFutureDoesntSuck by committing to go plastic-straw free and recruit restaurants, hotels, bars and other venues. Establishments also can register their commitment and challenge others to do the same, the companies say.

Keywords: beverage marketing campaigns, plastic straws, sustainability, on-premise retailers