How Brands From Bacardi to Salesforce Are Tackling Event Food Waste
Reducing food and beverage waste is the new way to “go green”
Originally published by Event Marketer
By Kait Shea
If you’ve been handed a metal straw at an event over the last few years, chances are, the practice was inspired by Bacardi, which in 2016 became the first global spirits company to pledge to eliminate single-use plastic straws at all of its events.
In partnership with Lonely Whale, Bacardi is working to eliminate one billion plastic straws by the end of 2020, inspiring consumers to follow suit with a catchy #TheFutureDoesntSuck tagline—and the brand is well on its way. During the South Beach Wine and Food Festival in Miami, it eliminated 20,000 single-use plastic straws in one night. Similarly, at Bacardi’s activation at this year’s Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, cocktails were served in bamboo cups. At other locations across the festival where its beverages were sold, the drinks were served in eco-friendly cups that were fully compostable. (Fun fact: The Nashville Food Project also hosted a zero-waste cooking demo at this year’s festival.)
The brand additionally works with local partners to reduce food waste at its events. This year, at both Tales of the Cocktail and Bar Convent, spirits trade shows, Bacardi partnered with local bars who took in leftover cocktail produce from the events, like lemons and limes.
