One of the TV series talks about the dirtiest jobs, and goes to a rum distillery in Rhode Island. This go me thinking about how the rum industry is utilizing their waste products and doing a lot to keep the pristine environment in which they operate, to remain pristine. In Puerto Rico Serralles Distilleries and Bacardi Distilleries have undertaken a huge project to reuse the water, and all of the other by-products of rum production to create energy and make products that will help the business grow.
Esteban Ordonez from Serralles Distilleries recently sat down and talked to a group of rum journalists about how the Serrales people are reusing the steam and water as well as other by-products of rum production to help cut down on costs and offer the company new profit centers. This is a great bonus to the company while they are preserving the ecosystem.
Here in the United States, I recently visited the Florida Caribbean Distillery in Auburndale, Florida and got to talk Jacob Call about their programs. They start with the by products of the Orange and Sugar industries of Florida to produce the spirits. Then take the left overs produce cattle and chicken feed that is sold to farmers and ranchers. They too have other programs that reduce their Eco footprint on the area in place as well.
In Panama the Varela Hermanos Distillery uses the sugar cane hulls to fire the boilers that make the steam that heats the stills, and still use oxen to pull the carts filled with the hand cut cane to the crusher.
It makes me feel good that the spirits industry as a whole is acting quite responsibly to preserve the environment around them. This is only going to help keep the spirits manufacturers in business and make the consumers feel better about their spirits. ;o)
