BeatBox Sustainability Report

The fastest-selling ready-to-drink cocktail and wine brand in the US aims to be the most sustainable, too.

BeatBox Beverages (BeatBox), headquartered in Austin, Texas, is the fastest-selling ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktail and wine brand in the United States (U.S.), with over 10 million BeatBoxes sold. The brand was founded and is led by friends Justin Fenchel, Aimy Steadman, and Brad Schultz, along with original co-founders Jason Schieck and Dan Singer. BeatBox was one of the early players in the RTD beverage space, launching its company in 2013 and raising one million dollars from Mark Cuban on Shark Tank in 2014. BeatBox is also the fastest-selling single-serve wine in the United States and the winner of the 2021 Brewbound Rising Stars award. 

BeatBox has always differentiated itself in the market through a combination of brightly packaged boxes, delicious wine-based punch in classic flavors with a kick, and a community built around the brand and music. The company offers two product lines: 6% alcohol by volume (abv) and 11.1% abv, along with its ever-expanding lineup of flavors and variety packs.

“We are the change we have wanted to see in the alcohol industry, with everything from brand experience to product innovation to our responsible business model.”

Justin Fenchel, Co-founder and CEO

As the brand continues to grow, BeatBox is expanding on its sustainability journey—reducing its environmental impacts is important to the founders and its community. Customers have started to demand more from the brands they consume, and BeatBox has been on a mission since day one to be the most sustainable and socially responsible alcohol brand in the industry. 

BeatBox’s Sustainability Journey

BeatBox’s sustainability journey began during product development, with careful consideration given to ingredient and packaging choices. In 2020, the company built upon its sustainability efforts by committing to becoming plastic-neutral through a partnership with rePurpose Global, funding the collection, processing, and reuse of as much ocean-bound plastic waste as possible and matching the volume of plastic used across its packaging and operations. BeatBox also conducted a preliminary baseline of the carbon emissions associated with its operations.

As part of its sustainability journey, BeatBox partners with the following organizations and companies to deliver on its sustainability goals while being an agent for change in the alcoholic beverage industry: The Climate Collaborative, Carton Council, Naturally Network, Naturally Austin, and CarbonBetter.

2021 Accomplishments

In 2021, BeatBox implemented an Environmental Management System (EMS) to track its environmental progress, actions, and compliance. Some core elements of the BeatBox EMS include environmental performance goals, establishing roles and responsibilities for environmental actions, setting programs and actions to meet environmental objectives, and improved data management procedures while ensuring employees’ awareness of BeatBox’s environmental objectives. 

In tandem with the implementation of its EMS, BeatBox has also ramped up its efforts to assess its carbon, water, and waste footprints. The company is fulfilling its commitment to disclose its environmental impacts publicly by publishing this first annual sustainability report, with 2021 operations reflected in the full downloadable report. This is an important step for BeatBox on its journey to being the change they want to see in the alcoholic beverage industry, by being open and transparent about its impacts. 

UN Sustainable Development Goals

The United Nations (UN) has published seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a call to action to meet the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development goals. BeatBox’s environmental efforts directly support the following SDGs:

Operational Footprint

Headquarters & Team

BeatBox leases office space in Austin, Texas which serves as a collaboration hub and meeting space, but BeatBox employees typically work remotely, cutting down on potential emissions associated with employee commutes. To help encourage environmental stewardship in employee home office spaces, BeatBox has incorporated remote working into its Environmental Policy and Green Office Policy.

Manufacturing

BeatBox uses a third-party manufacturer (co-packer) to produce and package BeatBox Beverages. Their co-packer has a dedicated sustainability team and programs for waste management, forest management, and efficient use of water and energy. BeatBox collaborates with its co-packer to ensure energy efficiency and reduced water consumption are incorporated into its operations. 

The co-packing facility treats its own process wastewater using an activated sludge aerobic treatment plant to treat water efficiently while reducing chemical usage and exceeding its target removal efficiency with an annual average efficiency of 94%. The treated water is used on the co-packer’s agricultural fields and gardens to reduce irrigation demands and water stress on the local aquifer, and the sludge is used as compost. The co-packer maintains plants, raises goats and sheep, and they are focused on preserving the local forest surrounding its facility, keeping measurements of its tree planting and preservation efforts across a 12-hectare area.  See the full report for more information about BeatBox’s co-packer.

Marketing & Distribution

BeatBox’s marketing includes travel to music festivals, trade shows, conferences, and local events. BeatBox strategically employs marketing resources in specific locations to be able to attend local events and conduct outreach with minimal travel requirements. For distribution, BeatBox works with a network of third-party distributors to bring its products to markets across the U.S. In 2021, BeatBox expanded its retail distribution by 102%, with more than 23,000 stores across the U.S. now selling BeatBox. The company also sells cases of its Hard Punch and Zero Sugar product lines, including variety packs, directly to consumers through its online shop.

2021 Environmental Impacts

BeatBox strives for continuous improvement when it comes to reducing its environmental impacts. In 2020, it quantified a preliminary carbon baseline and began to evaluate its water impacts. Through the implementation of its EMS and a desire to set measurable environmental impact reduction targets, BeatBox has worked to comprehensively quantify its 2021 impacts for carbon, water, and waste. As BeatBox continues to implement its EMS action plan and expand the scope of how it incorporates sustainability into every aspect of its operations, it stands committed to disclosing its impacts in a traceable manner. 

For additional details about estimated GHG emissions, water, and waste calculations and assumptions, please download the full report.

Goals & Improvements

BeatBox focuses on utilizing the best ingredients to ensure the highest quality and most enjoyable taste in every carton while also honoring the company’s commitment to the environment and reducing its impacts. 

Through implementation of its EMS, BeatBox has taken steps to ensure its suppliers are aligned with its Environmental Policy. BeatBox is also currently evaluating sourcing ingredients as close to its co-packer as feasible to reduce the impacts of ingredient transport.

BeatBox is working to support its co-packer in implementing clean energy projects at its facility. The facility has goals of adapting its boiler system to burn natural gas and also redirecting excess heat from the boilers to a turbine system to generate electric power. The facility has also set goals to reduce its water impacts and save water in the packing process. It is currently evaluating opportunities to install a filtration system to replenish the aquifer.

In 2022, BeatBox is excited to bring new flavors to market, including mango, and to continue to build on its explosive growth in the RTD market. Through its EMS and sustainability reporting efforts, BeatBox will continue on its journey of continuous improvement of environmental performance—setting itself up to truly be a sustainability leader in the alcoholic beverage industry.

Download the complete report below.

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Download the full 2021 BeatBox Sustainability Report

Learn more about how BeatBox is the change they want to see in the alcoholic beverage industry by downloading the full report.

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