Diageo Employees Across North America Partner with Community Organizations to Promote Environmental Responsibility
NORWALK, Conn., April 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- As part of its ongoing commitment to the environment, Diageo, the world's leading spirits, wine and beer company, announced today its commitment to a variety of initiatives across North America aimed at celebrating Earth Day. Employees from Norwalk, CT, Plainfield, IL and Amherstberg, ON will all be working with organizations in their areas to help build environmental awareness and improve their communities.
"As a company of families, Diageo realizes that responsibility extends well beyond our core business," said Guy L. Smith, Executive Vice President, Diageo North America. "As individuals and as a company there is a lot we can do to reduce our impact on the environment. Earth Day is an opportunity to highlight our community involvement and lead by example."
In Norwalk, where Diageo's North American headquarters are located, employees will participate in the Diageo River Cleanup 2009 on May 7th. Sponsored by Diageo's Global Supply Team, employees will spend the day cleaning up the banks of the Pequonnock River in Bridgeport, CT. To help facilitate this program, Diageo is working with Save the Sound, an organization that is part of the Connecticut Fund for the Environment and dedicated to protecting and restoring the Long Island Sound.
"It is very exciting to partner with Diageo North America on the Pequonnock River cleanup project," said Chris Cryder, Director of Restoration for Save the Sound. "This is one of the sites that Save the Sound has focused on in the past, so having Diageo's support is particularly meaningful. Corporate involvement can make a big difference in protecting our environment, not only because it provides volunteers or financial support, but because it helps make environmental stewardship part of corporate culture."
In Plainfield, Diageo is partnering with the Plainfield Chamber of Commerce to distribute a reusable shopping bag in the coming months through the Commerce's welcome package for new families moving into the community. The bags will serve to encourage people to reduce use of plastic, non-recyclable bags. Through this program, Diageo and the Plainfield Chamber expect to distribute approximately 1500 bags featuring the Diageo Green Planet logo.
"We are thrilled that Diageo is partnering with us on an Earth Day initiative that will extend far beyond April 22nd," said Pam Angelus, Director of Public Relations for the Plainfield Chamber of Commerce. "With this bag initiative, Diageo found a way to help us not only welcome new families to our community, but to also give them a quick and easy way to get involved in protecting the environment right from the outset."
This year, employees from Diageo's bottling facility in Amherstberg have come together to form the 'Diageo Green Team' as part of the Sunoco Earth Day Celebration in Windsor, ON on April 26th. Together with Earth Day Canada, the Essex Region Conservation Authority, the Suncor Energy Foundation, and the City of Windsor, the 'Diageo Green Team' will help plant more than 1,500 trees in Malden Park, Windsor's largest park.
Today, Diageo also announced that its Sterling Vineyards Winery in Napa Valley, CA has been certified by the Napa County Department of Environmental Management as a Napa Valley Green Winery. The recognition is based on the Association of Bay Area Government's (ABAG) Green Business Program, which has a winery-specific checklist that is used as the certification method for a Napa Green Certified Winery. The checklist includes water conservation, energy conservation, pollution prevention, and solid waste reduction elements. This recognition comes after the famed Sterling Vineyards aerial tram converted to solar energy in December, which will help generate an extra 20,985 kWh per year and offset other energy uses at Sterling Vineyards.
Additionally, Diageo recently began construction on a new high-capacity rum distillery in the U.S. Virgin Islands with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification principles. Some of the 21st century ecological and environmental controls incorporated in the design include a closed-loop water system, organic solids reclamation and storm water best management practices. The facility will begin to produce rum in 2011. Beginning in 2012, the distillery will supply all rum used to make Captain Morgan branded products for the United States.
About Diageo
Diageo (Dee-AH-Gee-O) is the world's leading premium drinks business with an outstanding collection of beverage alcohol brands across spirits, wines and beer categories. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Guinness, Smirnoff, J&B, Baileys, Cuervo, Tanqueray, Captain Morgan, Crown Royal, Beaulieu Vineyard and Sterling Vineyards wines.
Diageo is a global company, trading in more than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (DGE). For more information about Diageo, its people, brands, and performance, visit us at Diageo.com. For our global resource that promotes responsible drinking through the sharing of best practice tools, information and initiatives, visit DRINKiQ.com.
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