VnC Cocktails Stirs Sustainability in to Mix

MEDIA RELEASE 20 June 2011

VnC Cocktails Stirs Sustainability in to Mix

Planet conscious fashionistas in Manhattan, Moscow and Macau can now sip their Kiwi-made Vodka Mojitos knowing their classic drink from VnC Cocktails is certified sustainable, from a fragrant lime orchard to frosty glass.

Being able to track the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions related to its ready to serve drinks from tree to tumbler, has allowed the hip exporter to become the first company in the world to gain CEMARS® product certification.

The new CEMARS (Certified Emissions Measurement And Reduction Scheme) product certification was a natural fit VnC Cocktails – which exports to 27 countries and wants its key overseas markets to know its products are cool and sustainable.

Alex Badger, VnC Cocktails marketing manager, says: “We are dedicated to providing consumers with all-natural products which have a low environmental impact. People who buy our cocktails and decision makers throughout our supply chain are focused on reducing the environmental impact of the products they choose.”

Demonstrating commitment to reduce its carbon footprint through CEMARS is important to VnC and fits naturally with the company’s brand values which include being preservative free and using recyclable PET plastic packaging.

Gaining CEMARS required VnC Cocktails to conduct a full lifecycle analysis of its all-natural ingredients, and the resulting cocktail products which are shipped overseas.

“Having CEMARS certification will give us a competitive edge, particularly in markets such as Europe and the United Kingdom.”

CEMARS streamlines the process for exporters to achieve credible GHG certification, says Graham Carter, chief executive for the carboNZeroCertTM programme, which developed CEMARS as an alternative option to its world-leading carbon neutral certification.

“More countries are either legislating ways to measure carbon footprints of imports, or looking to. Global retail giants such as Walmart and Tesco have put a line in the sand saying ‘carbon label or show us your carbon scorecard, or we won’t show you our shelves’.”

Mr Carter says the CEMARS product certification is expected to be popular with exporters in the food and beverage sector such as VnC Cocktails, and manufacturers of products such as plastics, bottling and skin care.

He says CEMARS product certification was added to the programme’s range of internationally recognised certification options because it provides an opportunity for companies to demonstrate the measurement and reduction of their products’ emissions before going on to, or instead of, gaining full carbon neutral certification.

“It makes total economic sense. Cutting emissions will result in cost savings, and in most cases this outweighs the cost of obtaining the certification. A certified emissions measurement and reduction claim adds value to a brand and increases market access.”

Alex Badger says VnC Cocktails recently secured a trial supply deal with the UK supermarket chain ASDA, and its pending CEMARS certification was an important factor in satisfying ADSA of its environmental responsibility.

CEMARS product certification is based on a scientific footprint measurement, aligned with international best practice (PAS 2050 and ISO 14067) and developed by the world’s first internationally accredited greenhouse gas (GHG) certification scheme under ISO 14065.

To accomplish a global strategy, CEMARS has been licensed to UK firm Achilles Information Limited to target UK organisations, and the certification has proved popular with 56 organisations having achieved CEMARS certification, and another 55 organisations well on the way to achieving the standard.

Licensees in Australia include Bureau Veritas, a leading independent certification body with 80,000 clients in more than 100 countries, and Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance, which has a growing network of climate change units and offices servicing more than 120 countries. CEMARS is also establishing itself in Chile and the UAE.

VnC Cocktails CASE STUDY: The footprint of a ready to serve cocktail

CEMARS experts help VnC Cocktails calculate the emissions attributable to each of its products from ‘cradle to grave’ (from raw material to eventual consumption) including:

• growing the fruit used in the drink mixes

• importation of ingredients such as tequila

• production of the mixes at its Tauranga facility

• freighting to stores (usually by sea)

• disposal of the empty recyclable bottle.

VnC Cocktails Alex Badger explains: “Starting with the ingredients, for example apple juice, we include the emissions related to the culturing the apples, making juice at the juice press, and the transport to VnC’s production site.

“We also take into account the packaging, which includes bottles, labels, caps, and cartons. The emissions related to production, for example electricity, water, waste, natural gas, refrigerants, fuel, and staff travel are all measured.”

“The finished product is then shipped to domestic or overseas shops and hospitality businesses. The measurement here includes the chilling, shelving, and lighting in these outlets. The lifecycle, and the calculation of our carbon footprint ends with the disposal of the cocktail packaging.” About CEMARS

Organisations can take a step towards new business effectiveness with the world’s first internationally accredited greenhouse gas (GHG) certification scheme under ISO 14065.

CEMARS credible and transparent, and is recognised in more than 50 countries as a best-practise standard across businesses operations, ensuring consistency of emissions measurement, credibility of reduction activity, and assurance of market claims. It has been developed for businesses and organisations which are large emitters and for whom offsetting is not a viable business proposition.

It provides a way for companies to reduce operating costs, provide assurance for customers, investors and business partners, gain a competitive edge and market exposure.

About CEMARS “certified product”

• Companies measure, manage and reduce the emissions associated with the whole life cycle their product i.e. the emissions that belong to the product, from extraction of raw materials, through processing, packaging, distribution, retail, consumer use and disposal of waste at the end of life of the product.

• CEMARS is an ISO 14065 accredited programme.

• CEMARS’ logo can be marketed on products and product packaging.

• Under the developing international rules, the product can be measured and reported for business-to-business i.e. “cradle-to-gate”, or business-to-consumer i.e. “cradle-to-grave” (including retail and consumer).

• Reduction targets must be achieved within 5 years.

To differentiate between the two CEMARS certifications, ‘organisation’ or ‘product’ taglines have been added to the existing CEMARS logo.

ENDS

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