Drinking To A Sustainable Future

Nov. 18, 2009 - PRLog -- Tea and coffee drinkers can now select from seven sustainable options from the Mars Drinks FLAVIA range of hot drinks (http://www.myflavia.co.uk/drinks/). Building on its existing work with the Rainforest Alliance (http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/programs/index.html), Mars Drinks has added two more teas to its FLAVIA drinks range. FLAVIA Earl Grey and Royal Blend tea now carry the Rainforest Alliance Certified™ seal and contain a minimum of 30% certified content.

Forming the latest development in the Mars Drinks ongoing Thirsty for Change (http://www.marsdrinks.com/mars-drinks/en/Sustainability/) programme, the sustainable drinks range reflects the commitment by Mars Drinks to ensure that 30% of its drinks range will be sustainably sourced by 2010.

With its sustainable drinks (http://www.myflavia.co.uk/sustainability/) range, FLAVIA is enabling its customers to enjoy a refreshing drink knowing they are helping to protect the environment, as well as ensuring a good standard of living for farmers, workers and their families through the Rainforest Alliance certification programme.

Royal Blend and Earl Grey (http://www.myflavia.co.uk/drinks/tea/black-tea/) tea are the latest additions to the FLAVIA range of sustainable drinks. Existing drinks in its sustainable range include English Breakfast tea and three types of coffee (http://www.myflavia.co.uk/drinks/coffee/): Colombia, Smooth Roast, Rich Roast.

FLAVIA also sources its Kenya coffee directly from a co-operative in the Kiambu district of Kenya as part of the Mars Drinks Brighter Tomorrow at Origin (http://www.marsdrinks.com/mars-drinks/en/Sustainability/Y...) programme. The initiative works with the farmers to help them improve the quality of their coffee, allowing them to command a higher price for their yield.

Daniel Vennard, Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Director at Mars Drinks comments: “We’ve been focused on helping to make both our workplace and those of our customers more sustainable for a long time through our Thirsty for Change sustainability programme. Whether through energy saving, reducing waste or helping others, we’re committed to implementing fresh ways of ensuring a sustainable future while providing our customers with the highest quality of drinks possible.”

To find out more about FLAVIA and Mars Drinks, call: 0800 0323 444 or visit the website: www.myflavia.co.uk (http://www.myflavia.co.uk/).

Contact for further info: Toni O’Sullivan, tosullivan@thebluedoor.com, 01252 899969

Editors Notes:

Mars Drinks (marsdrinks.com) is a segment of Mars, Incorporated, a private, family-owned company founded in 1911 and employing 70,000 associates in 67 countries worldwide.  Headquartered in McLean, Virginia, USA, Mars, Incorporated is one of the world’s largest food companies, generating global revenues of $30 billion annually and operating in six segments that produce some of the world’s leading brands. In addition to the Drinks brands above, popular Mars, Incorporated brands include: in the Chocolate segment, M&M’S®, SNICKERS®, DOVE®, GALAXY ®, MARS®, MILKY WAY®, and TWIX®; in the Petcare segment, PEDIGREE ®, WHISKAS ®, SHEBA ®, CESAR ® and ROYAL CANIN ®; in the Wrigley segment, ORBIT ®, EXTRA ®, STARBURST ®, DOUBLEMINT ®, and SKITTLES ®; in the Food segment, UNCLE BEN’S ®, DOLMIO®, ELBY®, MASTERFOODS ® and SEEDS OF CHANGE®; and in the Symbioscience segment, COCOAPROTM, WISDOM PANELTM MX, and SERAMIS®.

The Rainforest Alliance works with people whose livelihoods depend on the land, helping them transform the way they grow food, harvest wood and host travelers. From large multinational corporations to small, community-based cooperatives, businesses and consumers worldwide are involved in the Rainforest Alliance’s efforts to bring responsibly produced goods and services to a global marketplace where the demand for sustainability is growing steadily.

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