Recycling in the United States has progressed tremendously over the past few decades, increasing by over 400% in the last 30 years, and growing in recent years Heaven Hill is proud to have grown our own recycling programs over that time as well. In our Bardstown bottling operations, we recycle tens of thousands of pounds every month and  are currently working to capture additional waste streams for recycling or reuse. We are also working to broaden the recycling collection at our newly expanded Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience, including the Five Brothers Bar. At our Bernheim Distillery, we recently expanded recycling to our breakrooms and offices, resulting in nearly three more tons of material recycled each year from the facility. At our Hanover office location in Louisville, we are working on launching an improved recycling program for when we return to office. Finally, Michelle Jenschke, Deep Eddy Vodka’s Tasting Room General Manager, recently coordinated the setup of recycling service for the Tasting Room, which will help them divert cardboard, plastic, and glass from the landfill.

Of course, our recycling efforts don’t stop within the borders of the United States. The Black Velvet Distillery, has been working hard to not only recycle, but consistently decrease overall waste. Since FY2014, they have reduced the amount of waste sent to landfills by over 80%.

One of Heaven Hill’s four environmental sustainability goals is focused on waste reduction, and recycling is a great start! In addition, recycling helps reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change. Did you know that the 87 million tons of waste that were recycled in 2012 prevented roughly 168 million metric tons of carbon emissions? As organic waste decomposes in a landfill, methane and carbon dioxide are released into the atmosphere, so the less waste we send to the landfill, the lower our carbon footprint is.

As a company that values continuous improvement, we are continually focused on improving our recycling programs and reducing the amount of material going to our local landfills. Here are some ways you can help to support our recycling efforts:

• Utilize recycling bins in your workspace
• Be conscious about the waste you’re creating
• Opt for paperless options when possible
• Get educated on common recycling contaminants and what to do with them

If you have a question or suggestion about recycling, or any other environmental sustainability topic, let us know at [email protected].