Pernod Ricard India announces the removal of Permanent Mono-Cartons across its brand portfolio

India, May 24, 2022: Accelerating its commitment to sustainability, Pernod Ricard India (PRI), a global leader in the wine and spirits industry, today announced a major initiative to remove permanent mono-cartons across its portfolio of brands. Starting with 500 Million pieces annually under its Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) brands, and based on consumer acceptance, the Company will gradually extend this initiative to include its portfolio of imported brands.

• Champions Zero Waste to Landfill contribution for permanent mono-cartons in India

• Aligned to its Sustainability & Responsibility roadmap, sets up an action plan by removing 500 Million pieces of permanent mono-cartons annually

According to a report* by ASSOCHAM and PwC, landfills are brimming with so much urban waste that by 2050, India is reportedly going to need a landfill that is the size of its capital, New Delhi. This initiative from Pernod Ricard India aims to inspire consumers to making eco-conscious purchase decisions, reduce waste to landfill for secondary packaging, and contribute to the Company’s 2030 Responsibility & Sustainability roadmap ‘Good Times from a Good Place’, which supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Highlighting the Company’s commitment towards building a responsible business, Thibault Cuny, Managing Director, Pernod Ricard India said, "Pernod Ricard India’s long-standing commitment to nurturing people, planet and communities with sustainability at its core, continues to remain an organizational imperative. Responding to global ecological challenges, this initiative reiterates our focus on reducing environmental impact and building thriving communities. True to our vision of Créateurs de convivialité, we believe in working with others to drive our sustainability agenda. We hope to see other companies in India also adopting this environment-first approach to steer conscious consumption which helps fight climate change while creating growth momentum."

As per published reports**~ 43% of mono-cartons end up in landfills. Since 2020, Pernod Ricard India has been working on pilot projects to test consumer acceptance to removal of permanent mono-cartons. It is set to roll this out across states in India, that it has presence in. By eliminating the manufacturing and transportation of non-essential packaging, this initiative has a three-pronged aim to:

• Reduce its Carbon footprint
• Eliminate its Water footprint in secondary packaging
• Help reduce Deforestation

With this initiative, Pernod Ricard India would become the first to achieve a zero-waste-to-landfill contribution for permanent mono-cartons in India.

As we migrate to sustainable solutions and work towards building a circular economy in response to the critical challenges that our planet is facing today, Pernod Ricard India has introduced multiple high impact measures aimed at people, planet and communities, under its Sustainability & Responsibility roadmap:

• Having water-positive operations by 2.6x
• Reducing its carbon and waste footprint throughout manufacturing and transportation
• Reducing environmental footprint through glass reuse and recycling programs

Pernod Ricard is a signatory to Business for Nature, which brings together global businesses and organizations focused on protecting nature and Ellen MacArthur Foundation, a leading network to accelerate the transition to a circular economy.

Building on our global Sustainability & Responsibility roadmap, we have a vision of Reimagining a circular future with people, planet, and communities at its core - the Pernod Ricard India Way. We aim to drive effective solutions to address social, economic & environment sustainability while partnering in India’s key development initiatives under SDG 2030. We are also focused on shaping a better future for 2.2 million lives with 110+ programs near our plants across 17 states, by focusing on water resource management, education, livelihood generation, healthcare, and empowering social change makers.