We’ll work with our suppliers so every key raw material we buy meets an independent standard for social and environmental performance, and understand and address our key climate change risks.

From the barley we use in our Scotch Whisky brands to the casks in which our spirits mature, a strong supply chain is essential to Edrington’s success. Many of our suppliers have worked with Edrington for decades. Our strategy seeks to build on this continuity and to work with our partners to ensure that every key product we source for our brands meets an independent standard for social and environmental performance. With our business grounded in nature and the natural environment, we also want to make sure that our crops and our products are resilient for the future.

  • Barley: Simpsons Malt is Edrington’s sole supplier of malted barley.
  • Casks: Our cask supply is a key point of industry difference in terms of our supply chain. We can source our casks right back to the sawmills and loggers from which they were supplied.
  • Sugar: The Brugal distillery uses molasses, a by-product of sugar production, to produce our Brugal rum. We are currently assessing our suppliers and working closely with them to develop our understanding of the sugar cane supply chain in the Dominican Republic.
  • Packaging: We aim to use packaging with low environmental impact whilst meeting the premium consumer demand for bottles and packaging that convey the heritage and value of the spirit. Our Scotch Whisky brands are on track to meet the Scotch Whisky Association target of increasing the recycled content of packaging to more than 40%. In 2019 the recycled content in our packaging was 39%.

The growing popularity of premium spirits around the world is accompanied by consumer demand for bottles and packaging that convey the heritage and value of the spirit. This is driving up glass and packaging weights, particularly in the case of Single Malt Scotch Whiskies. Edrington uses predominantly clear glass to allow consumers to see the natural colour of its malt whiskies. As a result of the strength of our super-premium portfolio Edrington is not currently on track to meet the SWA’s target of reducing packaging weight by 10% by 2020.

We will continue to work with suppliers and industry partners to find opportunities to support the industry’s aim of reducing packaging. Our business will listen to consumers and be ready to respond rapidly to trends that support packaging innovation.