Diageo India, the country’s leading beverage alcohol company announced the removal of mono cartons from its brands in a phased manner, starting with its premium Scotch brands VAT 69, Black & White and Black Dog. This is in line with the company’s ‘Society 2030: Spirit of Progress,’ a 10-year ESG action plan to help create a more inclusive and sustainable world, that includes an ambition to be zero-waste to landfill from its own operations and offices by 2030. The initiative, launched through Be A #PlanetHero, will be rolled out across all its brands over a period of time.

The phased removal will proactively engage consumers to participate, contribute and promote a progressive move to a sustainable future, and will result in saving 10,000 tonnes of paper and reducing 7,000 tonnes of carbon emissions annually. Diageo India is committed to delivering high-quality products and has proactively introduced additional safety measures to address potential breakage and spilling concerns using stronger shipping cartons and additional protective plates inside the shipping cartons.

Hina Nagarajan, managing director and chief executive officer, Diageo India said, “Diageo India is committed to creating a positive environmental and social impact which is outlined in our ambitious Society 2030 goals. We are taking bold steps through such initiatives, aligned with the changing consumer preferences for brands that are conscious and sustainable by design. This phased removal of mono cartons will test consumer response, reduce waste, contribute to Diageo's 10-year ESG action plan, and will enable us to further expand this initiative to other brands based on consumer feedback. We hope the rest of the industry will follow as we take this very significant step towards sustainability.”

Earlier this year, Diageo globally announced the removal of mono cartons from its premium Scotch portfolio around the world including Johnnie Walker Black Label Blended Scotch Whisky, Johnnie Walker Red Label Blended Scotch Whisky, Buchanan’s Blended Scotch Whisky and Bell’s Original Blended Scotch Whisky. In addition, Diageo India has introduced a bio-degradable hipster pack for its premium scotch brand Black & White and will expand to more brands in 2023.