Seagram's goes green (for its bottles, not its whiskey)

Seagram's is now a bit more sea-friendly.

Beer and spirits producer Diageo North America announced June 11 that its blended American whiskey, Seagram's 7 Crown, will use bottles made from 100 percent recycled PET.

The move is part of Diageo's plastics packaging pledge to use materials that are widely recyclable, reusable or compostable and made from recycled material by 2025, according to a release. Diageo is also a signatory of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's commitment to a circular economy for plastics.

The maker will remove all virgin PET from the full range of Seagram's 7 Crown bottles, size and variety.

The switch boosts Diageo's recycled PET content among its global brands to 45 percent, with a goal to reach 100 percent of recycled content by 2030. The change reduces the use of virgin plastic by almost 1,000 tons annually.

Another Diageo brand, Guinness, in 2019 removed all plastic packaging — plastic ring carriers and shrink wrap — from its beer packs.

The new bottles will be on shelves across the U.S. starting at the end of the month while some of the brand's glass bottles will remain alongside the new recycled PET bottles.

Brand Director Jason Sorely said in the release: "Great packaging is essential for our brands. Consumers expect our packs to be of the highest quality, while also being functional and sustainable."

Other Diageo brands include Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, Smirnoff, Ketel One, Captain Morgan, Baileys and Don Julio, among others.