4ocean Teams Up with Mount Gay Rum and Sea Bags to Launch Tote and Beverage Bucket – waste360
ST. LUCY, Barbados — Mount Gay Rum, the world’s oldest running rum distillery established in 1703, and Sea Bags, the Maine-based designer and maker of bags and accessories made from recycled sail cloth, announces an exclusive collaboration alongside actor and environmentalist Adrian Grenier to launch a limited-edition collection that honors the ocean. Inspired by the longstanding connection between the ocean, sailing, and rum, the Mount Gay x Sea Bags Ocean Currents Collection features a Tote and Beverage Bucket designed to celebrate the ocean and the brands’ commitments to protecting it – with every bag purchase, a contribution will be made to 4ocean’s Pound+ Program.
Mount Gay’s connection with the ocean goes deeper than its long-standing relationship with the sailing community; it is an integral part of the brand. The ocean contributes to the distinct flavors in each bottle of Mount Gay due to the coral filtered water and oceanic air used in the distillation process for over 300 years. Sustainability and conservation are at the heart of Mount Gay and can be seen through their commitments, such as employing 100% sustainable agriculture by 2025 and their ongoing partnership with 4ocean, one of the leading ocean conservation companies. To date, the brand has helped remove 20,000 pounds of plastic from the world’s oceans.
“Our new partnership with Sea Bags is an important step in our ongoing efforts to conserve the ocean,” said Ian McLernon, President and CEO Americas at Rémy Cointreau. “Mount Gay and sailing have a storied, interwoven relationship and we are proud to be united in our mission to protect the ocean, while encouraging our community to take action for a more sustainable future.”
“We are thrilled to partner with Mount Gay on this sustainability initiative created to promote awareness and visibility to the needs around protecting our waters – from Maine to Barbados and beyond,” said Beth Greenlaw, President and Chief Sustainability Officer of Sea Bags. “Sustainability and sailing have always been at the core of Sea Bags, and Mount Gay shares those passions and values.”
Through the two brands’ shared affinity for the ocean, Mount Gay and Sea Bags came together with Grenier, a leading voice in environmental and sustainable advocacy, to design the Ocean Currents Collection in support of 4ocean and its mission to end the plastic crisis.
“The plastic crisis in our oceans continues to grow and collectively, we need to support conservation efforts and raise awareness around ocean health, or we will lose one of the Earth’s greatest assets,” said actor and environmentalist Adrian Grenier. “Working with Mount Gay Rum and Sea Bags to create the sustainable Ocean Currents Collection furthers our shared goal and serves to inspire others to help protect the ocean, while offering a sustainable gift just in time for the holidays.”
Available November 3rd on www.seabags.com/mountgay, the Ocean Currents Collection Sea Bags are made from 100% recycled sails, complemented by vibrant red accents and swirling, natural ocean current designs that nod to Mount Gay Rum’s long-established relationship with the sailing community. Each Tote purchase funds the removal of two pounds of trash and each Beverage Bucket purchase funds the removal of one pound of trash from the ocean and coastlines as part of 4ocean’s Pound + Program using its full-time, professional cleanup crew members.
For more information visit www.mountgyrum.com and to purchase the bags, visit www.seabags.com/mountgay. Follow us @MountGayRum and @SeaBagsMaine on Instagram. To learn more about 4ocean, visit www.4ocean.com or follow @4ocean on Instagram.
About Mount Gay
A legal deed dated from February 20, 1703 confirms the existence of a “pot still house” on Mount Gay’s sugar cane Estate in Barbados, establishing Mount Gay as the world’s oldest rum producer. Our distillery name honors the pioneering Sir John Gay who perfected the distinctive Mount Gay style. Still today, only the finest sugar cane molasses and pure water filtered through the coral heart of the island are selected to create Mount Gay rums. Perpetuating a long-standing Barbadian tradition for more than 315 years, Mount Gay rums are handcrafted from a blend of single column and double copper pot distillates and matured in toasted oak barrels, delivering aromatic, flavorful taste, body, and refined character.
The Mount Gay portfolio includes 1703 Master Select, XO, Black Barrel, and Eclipse. Mount Gay is owned by Rémy Cointreau SA.
About Sea Bags
Incorporated in 2006, Sea Bags started by making fun, functional and stylish totes from reclaimed sail cloth in the historic Old Port district of Portland, Maine. Today, the company employs nearly 175 people – all dedicated to the mission of saving sails from landfills while creating a diverse line of totes, bags and home goods that feature material from recycled sail cloth. The extensive use of reclaimed sail cloth is unique to Sea Bags. Signs of hard sailing can be seen in Sea Bags creations, making them as individual and unique as their owner. As of 2021, Sea Bags iconic Totes and Bucket Bags are GreenCircle Certified for recycled content. The new Sea Bags flagship retail store is located on Commercial Street in Portland Maine, and the manufacturing headquarters and factory store is located around the corner on Custom Wharf House on Portland, Maine’s working waterfront – where you can see firsthand the bags being made. Company-owned retail stores are located in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, South Carolina, Florida, Michigan and California. To learn more about Sea Bags and the stories their sails tell, visit www.seabags.com.
About 4ocean
4ocean is a purpose-driven business with a mission to help end the ocean plastic crisis by cleaning the ocean and coastlines while stopping the inflow of plastic. With the goal of creating an economy around cleaning the ocean, 4ocean has built a sustainable business model that allows the company to fund cleanups, utilize the latest technology and make a monthly donation to marine conservation organizations. Ocean cleanups are funded entirely through product purchases, removing one pound of trash for every item sold, for a total of over 18 million pounds to date. 4ocean prioritizes engaging coastal communities, which creates jobs and adds revenue to local economies while changing the demand from catching fish to catching plastic. The solution to ending ocean plastic pollution lies in stopping it on land before it enters the ocean, which is why 4ocean is educating consumers about ways to reduce their single-use plastic consumption.