Maker’s Mark, a Kentucky distillery leading the way in environmental practices, is piloting an innovative, new initiative to upcycle glass bottles with the help of multiple beverage retailers in the Louisville and Lexington areas. The program, called Glass to Garden, uses pulverizer machines to crush glass into a sand-like substance with many environmental benefits and opportunities for reuse.
During Maker’s Mark tasting events at select Kroger and Liquor Barn locations this fall, consumers can bring empty glass bottles of any type to witness the glass being smashed to smithereens. The resulting material, known as recovered crushed glass (RCG), which is finer and safer than sand, will be donated to Louisville Grows and Lexington’s Seedleaf – two nonprofits that work with and run urban community gardens in their respective cities.
“Our bourbon is made from and with natural ingredients, so doing our part for the environment is intrinsic to our culture at Maker’s Mark,” said Rob Samuels, eighth-generation distiller and Managing Director of Maker’s Mark Distillery. “It’s in this spirit that we proudly became the largest bourbon distillery to become B Corp certified earlier this year and why we continue to pursue programs such as Glass to Garden. It’s about living our values every day and helping our neighbors, partners and fans to do the same.”
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