NH Liquor Commission, NH Lodging and Restaurant Association and ABSOLUT Vodka Partner on New Initiative to Go Green

Concord, NH - The New Hampshire Liquor Commission (NHLC) has announced a comprehensive program to make operations at its Liquor and Wine Outlet stores more eco-friendly. THe initiative coincides with the announcement from ABSOLUT Vodka that New Hampshire was selected as the first state in the U.S. in which to launch its ABSOLUT GLOBAL COOLING campaign.

"It is exciting that New Hampshire has been chosen as the national kickoff point for the Absolut Global Cooling Campaign" said NH Liquor Commission Chairman Mark Bodi. It reinforces our leadership as an alcohol beverage control state and our commitment to be a national leader in retail and customer eco-friendly awareness and action".

"This milestone effort by the state of New Hampshire sets the bar for states to actively drive awareness and change when it comes to the environment". said Gregory Mineo, Director of Control States for ABSOLUT. "We're honored that the Absolut Global Cooling campaign resonates with New Hampshire culture as a progressive leader".

"NHLC will be the first of 18 control states in the nation to begin taking its state-run retail liquor stores fully "green". The commission first began its energy conservation efforts in 2002, upgrading lighting, heating, cooling, and water infrastructure. To continue that initiative, the NHLC will fund the eco-friendly audit of state owned NH Liquor and Wine Outlet stores".

Bodi also announced that the New Hampshire Lodging and Restaurant Association has pledged to work with the NHLC, through its existing NH Sustainable Lodging and Restaurant Program, to examine additional ways to reuse and recycle cardboard, glass, plastic waste produced by liquor products in their restaurants and lounges.

"We are pleased to join together with the New Hampshire Liquor Commission and Absolut to bring greater awareness, commitment, and action for eco-friendly initiatives among the entire hospitality industry", said NHLRA president and CEO, Michelline Dufort. "Although our members' recycling and environmental sensitivity is already high, anything we we can do to increase it will benefit everyone. This fits nicely with our existing sustainability program that has had proven success".

Green Initiaves

* Implement a new paper reducing point-of-sale system at all NHLC stores, currently we create 4 million liquor receipts a year.

* Recycle 100% of corrugated carboard as soon as possible. (NHLC go through 3.6 million boxes a year, enough to fill the Empire State Building.)

* Require trucks to further reduce idling time from existing state law of 5 minuets (above 32 degrees fahrenheit) to no idling time permitted during deliveries at NH Liquor and Wine Outlet stores. (Over 80,000 gallons of fuel is burned delivering products to NHLC stores and customers.)

* Replace signage illumination with more energy saving bulbs wherever possible and install new signs made from more eco-friendly materials.

* Encourage suppliers to use greater eco-friendly packaging materials and to reduce the use of excessive and unnecessary glass packaging. (NHLC stores sell 24 million bottles a year, enough to stretch from Concord, NH to Los Angeles, CA and back.)

* Provide direct incentives for consumers to bring reusable shopping bags to NHLC retail stores when making purchases. (NHLC uses 14 million paper bags a year, enough to cover every book in the NH State Library twenty-eight times.)

* Eliminate unnecessary, excessive, and non-eco friendly marketing materials in the stores, such as large plastic display bottles, signs and banners.

* Conduct energy audits of its NH Liquor and Wine Outlet stores with the assistance of the NH Department of Environmental Services.

* Educate those consumers who take and reuse the cardboard boxes provided at retail locations to recycle them when they're done with them.

* Pledge to build all future state owned stores in "green design buildings".

* Partner with the New Hampshire Lodging and Restaurant Association to increase recycling of cardboard, glass and plastic among its member restaurants and lounges.

The Department of Environmental Services (DES) has agreed to provide advisory assistance to the NHLC.

ABSOLUT GLOBAL COOLING & Mt. Washington

The ABSOLUT GLOBAL COOLING initiative encourages consumers to reduce the effects of global warming by offering simple steps they can implement in their daily lives. Cocktails at bars and nightclubs come with "Cooling Cards", where donations are activated instantly via text or online. At retail locations, "Cooling Code" stickers, found inside recipe cards, will, when chilled, reveal a code that is activated online at the ABSOLUT Global Cooling Website. The year-long "Every Sip Makes a Statement" promotion reaches consumers at all touch points to get involved in Global Cooling by registering their ABSOLUT bottle or cocktail codes online where they will have the opportunity to active their eco-donation to one of three eco-charity partners including the Fruit Tree Foundation . The Ocean Foundation and the Environmental Media Association . ABSOLUT will donate $1 per registered code for a bottle or cocktail of ABSOLUT, ABSOLUT Citron or ABSOLUT Mandrin to the three environmental non-profits, providing proof that indeed every sip counts.

To celebrate the start of the Global Cooling campaign, the first bottle of ABSOLUT with the "Cooling Code" sticker was placed at the peak of Mt. Washington today to chill and reveal its special cooling code. The 6.288-foot summit is home to some of the world's most extreme weather. Scientists at the Mount Washington Observatory are leading the way in research on air pollution, climate variability, and global tropospheric chemistry.

About the NH Liquor Commission

The NH Liquor Commission operates in one of the 18 control states where the government directly controls and regulates the distribution and regulation of alcoholic beverages. The Commission is an important source of revenue for the state, contributing over $100 million to the General Fund each year. For more information about the NH Liquor Commission click here.

About the Absolut Spirits Company, Inc.

The Absolut Spirits Company, Inc., a subsidiary of V & S Group, produces and markets ABSOLUT VODKA, Level Vodka FRIS Vodka, Plymouth Gin and Cruzan Rum. The Absolut Spirits Company focuses on reducing the impact on climate change, sustainable agriculture and optimizing use of natural resources as mandated by V & S Group . To view details on the company's efforts to combat global warming, click here and then click on "Corporate Responsiblity/Environment".