Bacardi has underlined its commitment to the environment by revealing it is the only major spirits company will all its facilities certified to international standards for quality, environment, health and safety.

The multinational firm said that — as part of its corporate responsibility drive — more than 98 percent of its waste is recycled, reused or recovered.

Employees of the drinks firm worldwide also take part in corporate responsibility month, when they volunteer to work on special projects — a scheme which has been significantly expanded from the original week.

A Bacardi report about corporate responsibility said: “As a result, in May 2012, Bacardi employees representing 28 countries contributed more than 7,600 hours of volunteer time.”

The report added: “Bacardi donated more than $6 million to local communities around the world.” The figure included “a significant in-kind donation” valued at $2.7 million of the Bacardi Tower and Museum building in Miami, Florida.

The firm added that it had reduced energy consumption by 25 percent and water use by more than half across its operations.

The firm added that, across its multinational empire, more than half of job openings at management level and above are filled by internal recruitment.

The firm also highlighted its commitment to ethical advertising and the promotion of responsible drinking — including cutting down on under-age drinking and reducing the number of drink-related road accidents.

Barcardi president and CEO Ed Shirley said: “Bacardi Limited is committed to the responsible management of all business activities. We aim to be best-in-class in corporate responsibility in the spirits industry and believe that, through responsibly managing our environmental and social impacts, Bacardi will be a more sustainable business in the long-term.”

The firm’s Eric Kraus added: “These are very real corporate responsibility commitments and ongoing initiatives. We see these actions as not only an essential matter of corporate responsibility, but also an important area of collaboration with our consumers, key customers and suppliers as well as with employees and opinion leaders.”

The report, which covers the year up to March 31, 2012, added that it had also set a target to ensure 100 percent of its sugarcane-derived products came from sustainable sources by 2022 — a first for the industry.

Family-owned Bacardi, the largest privately-held spirits company in the world, has had a significant presence in Bermuda for decades.

Its products include more than 200 brands and labels, including the signature Bacardi Rum, the world’s best-selling and most-awarded rum, as well as Grey Goose vodka, Dewar’s whisky and Bombay Sapphire gin.