ANTIGUA SAILING WEEK

In celebration of World Oceans Month  under the theme " Tides are changing" Mount Gay Rum partnered with Adopt A Coastline , a vibrant non profit organization that has been changing the trajectory of marine conservation through impactful coastal clean-ups throughout coastal communities in Antigua. As part of Mount Gay Rum’s longstanding commitment to sustainability, this partnership was befitting to the cause of ocean conservancy and support of the blue economy.  Adopt a Coastline Antigua has been recognized for its proven track record of high performance in the areas of waste management and community involvement in coastal areas.  

Ocean inspired cocktails with Mount Gay rum as the main ingredient have been created for distribution across restaurants and bars nationwide. For every drink purchased Mount Gay Rum will donate $2.00USD towards Adopt a Coastline Beach Tire Bins and stewarding program – supporting ocean conservation and communities one beach at a time. The initiative will run for the months of June & July and branded Mount Gay bins will be placed on select beaches to promote proper waste management in our nation’s coastal communities. The stewarding of the beaches where the bins are placed guarantees success and continuity of the waste management activities. 

With a sustainability program underpinned by the UN Sustainable Development goals, this initiative is estimated to cause a wave of action in Antigua’s coastal communities through massive beach clean-ups and placement of additional bins. Marine debris collected during clean-ups is upcycled to create whimsical art and craft pieces for sale, the proceeds of which are fed back into the project. Mount Gay’s robust sustainability program incorporates agriculture and biodiversity through the promotion of crop rotation, responsibly sourced sugar cane, encouragement of honeybees to promote pollination as well as energy conservation through the use of alternate energy sources including solar and fuel substitutions. 

The company has also made significant efforts towards water conservation through the use of 35% of its waste water from distilleries in its agriculture. Waste management and the protection of our oceans is a priority for the Mount Gay team and significant efforts have been made to keep our oceans clear of single use plastics through partnerships with 4oceans to support 60,000 lbs of plastic being removed from the oceans. 

Protecting the marine environment remains high on the national agenda for Antigua, a Small Island Developing State. Marine debris and specifically plastics have been known to cause damage to marine ecosystems especially to our coral reefs, marine fish and endangered sea turtles through the infiltration of microplastics. Mount Gay has also demonstrated commitment to communities and human resource development through training and supporting the wider community through scholarships, land preservation projects and educational awareness on responsible drinking.