By Tabitha Evans Moore | EDITOR & PUBLISHER

It all started with a pristine cave spring located just slightly northeast of the Lynchburg town square. Jasper Newton Daniel wasn’t the first to discover Cave Spring Hollow. Around a dozen other distilleries existed around that time. But Jack knew the property was special, so he took the money he’d recently received from his father’s estate and purchased the spring for $2,148 – which was no small amount even back then.

Why? The water contained no sediment nor impurities that Jack could see. It existed as just pure, spring water flowing at exactly 56 degree year-round over a layer of limestone, which removed iron and imparted natural minerals into the water giving it a distinctive character and flavor. It’s been a crucial part of the Old No. 7 recipe ever since.

From that initial gut instinct, a now global company emerged. One that ships an estimated 12.3 million cases of whiskey worldwide each year – every drop produced right here in Lynchburg. And all from a county that measures just 130 square miles. Carved out of portions of Bedford, Franklin, and Lincoln counties back in 1871 during the Reconstruction Era, it sits as the second smallest county in Tennessee.

Being sustainable in a small town isn’t just “woke” social policy. It’s a necessity to preserve water, air, soil, and land resources and protect local ecosystems that existed here in Moore County long before it became the Tennessee Whiskey Capital of the World. Additionally, thanks to the marketing department, the names Lynchburg and The Jack Daniel Distillery are basically synonymous. The two are intertwined irrevocably – requiring local trust and transparency.

To celebrate Earth Day, we recently caught up with the distillery’s Melvin Keebler (Senior Vice President and General Manager, Jack Daniel’s Supply Chain) and Donna Clark, (Senior Environmental Performance Manager) to ask them about sustainability and why it’s an important part of the core mission at the distillery today.

Blending Tradition with Sustainability

Back in the early 2010’s, Jack Daniel’s made a commitment to maintain a zero-waste-to-landfill policy – meaning that no byproduct used to produce our famous Tennessee Whiskey gets thrown away.

Spent distiller’s grain feeds local cattle. Used barrels – which can only be used once locally per Jack’s original recipe – get repurposed into furniture or sent away to age other spirits. Unused sugar maple charcoal gets upcycled into barbecue smoking pellets.

And it doesn’t stop there. According to their website, the distillery converts excessive shrink wrap from packaging into composite decking materials. They reduce paper waste by using electronic tablets for record-keeping

According to Keebler and Clark, they work hard to innovate with sustainable practices while honoring the tradition of whiskey making that’s been handed down around here for generations.

Q: Why is sustainability important to Jack Daniel’s—not just as a brand, but as a part of Lynchburg?

A: Sustainability and sustainable practices are essential to Jack Daniel’s commitment as an environmental steward, as well as to preserving the natural resources of the Lynchburg community, where we operate and work in partnership to support and uplift the region.

Q: What drives your commitment to zero waste?

A: Our commitment to zero waste to the landfill is based on the Jack Daniel Distillery and Brown-Forman corporate goals of being sustainable by recycling and reusing all by-products and/or waste generated in the manufacturing of Jack Daniel Tennessee Whiskey.  Jack Daniel is the primary contributor to the Metro Moore County Waste Reduction Planning required of each county by the state of Tennessee. 

Q: Is it a moral imperative, a business decision, or both?

A: It is both a moral imperative and a business decision related to our commitment to protecting the environment and being sustainable.

Q: How do you balance preserving tradition with innovation for a more sustainable future? 

A: Preserving the Jack Daniel tradition will always be a top priority in honoring our motto: Every day we make it, we’ll make it the best we can.  We have found that our sustainable practices do not interfere with preservation of that tradition at Jack Daniel.  We strive to continuously improve our work practices and achieve innovative sustainable practices, while honoring the Jack Daniel tradition at the same time.

Commonsense tactics and industry leadership

Sustainability has become a buzzword in corporate America, but according to Keebler and Clark, the distillery takes a commonsense approach to being a good environmental steward. They also say it feels important to them to be sustainability leaders in the industry.

Q: Jack Daniel’s is deeply rooted in this small Tennessee town. How do local choices—like reducing waste or sourcing responsibly—echo on a global scale?

A: Our products are distributed throughout the world and with that in mind, in 2023, we made the decision that all our 50ml bottles that are produced for US-based airlines are made with 100% post-consumer recycled plastic

Q: What do you think people might misunderstand about sustainability in a place like Lynchburg? 

A: That it is easy. Sustainability in a small town often means not as many resources or outlets for reuse or recycling of products. Due to the volume of whiskey we produce and the amount of “waste” we produce, sustainability requires partnerships with many local and regional businesses and the fostering of relationships so that we all work together for the benefit of all, because we want our neighbors to succeed as well as. 

Q: How can a small-town distillery like this influence larger conversations about environmental responsibility in the spirits industry?

A: Jack Daniel is one of the most valuable spirit brands in the world. We take that responsibility as a leader very seriously. We know that our sustainability goals and environmental stewardship are viewed by others in the spirits industry, and we want to lead in our environmental responsibility as well.

Improving the environment, enhancing the corporate bottom line

Yes, every day they make it, they make it the best they can. And every day they make it, they try to honor not only the land, animals, and resources that surround the distillery but also those throughout the state. Keebler and Clark point to the University of Tennessee Tree Improvement Program and National Wildlife Federation Wildlife Habitats and EPA Energy Star certifications as proof that local efforts can have a trickle-down effect.

Q: Can you walk me through some of your key zero waste initiatives and how they work in practice?

A: Oak barrels utilized for maturation of whiskey are shipped off site for other beverage alcohol companies to use for maturing their products and/or used for making furniture. Spent stillage generated is provided to farmers as either stillage or Dried Distillers Grains to enhance the local cattle economy and provide high protein ingredients for feed companies.  Our used charcoal is used in the making of smoking pellets for barbecues.  As part of our daily operations, we have reduced our paper waste by using handheld tablets as a way of electronic recordkeeping. We are committed to zero waste and transforming the way we conduct business using circularity principles, designing out waste, and keeping products and materials in use.

Q: What’s one behind-the-scenes innovation you’re particularly proud of that most people wouldn’t know about? 

A: We are proud of several initiatives at Jack Daniel that most people would not know about. Our partnership with the University of Tennessee since 1998 on the Tree Improvement Program, which provides seedlings to the East Tennessee Seedling Nursery to improve the productivity and health of Tennessee forests for the future. The certification of National Wildlife Federation Wildlife Habitats on the Jack Daniel campus at the cave spring area.  Jack Daniel achieved the EPA Energy Star Certification since its introduction in 2023, which indicates that we are more efficient than at least 75% of other distilleries and is proof of the compatibility of improving the environment, while enhancing the corporate bottom line.

Q: How are water conservation, byproduct reuse, or sustainable sourcing integrated into day-to-day operations?

A: Cave water is essential for making Jack Daniel’s whiskey. We conserve hundreds of acres of land to protect our Cave Spring, ensuring we have the water needed to make great whiskey. By reusing our by-products, whether it is using stillage as cattle feed or sugar maple spent charcoal as smoking pellets for barbecues, these activities allow additional life from our byproducts.

Not a cultural shift but a way of life

Some of the initiatives may be new, but according to Keebler and Clark, the Jack Daniel family of employees have always been environmentally aware by necessity. For example, Jack chose this spot in Lynchburg to build his now world-famous distillery because of the Lynchburg Cave Spring, making water conservation and protection top of mind.

Q: How do you involve your team in sustainability efforts – do they see themselves as stewards of this mission? 

A: All employees receive annual training regarding the sustainability and recycle goals of Jack Daniel, with special emphasis on the fact that every employee has a part to play in the success of our sustainability goals.  Jack Daniel has an internal program called “Be a Looker for Leaks,” in which each employee is encouraged to be aware of leaks within the plant that could result in excessive use and/or wasted resources such as air compressor leaks affecting energy, water leaks utilizing more water resources and potentially creating more wastewater. We also have a monthly Environmental Sustainability Ambassador recognition for team members who go above their regular duties to provide sustainability ideas such as waste reduction or reuse in their work areas.

Q: What role does education play in helping employees and visitors understand the distillery’s environmental goals?

A: Education, through training, plays a major role in ensuring our employees understand our deep commitment to the environment and protecting the natural resources of our communities.  Visitors also hopefully understand this same commitment with information shared by the tour guides while onsite, as well as the Brown-Forman website featuring our Environmental Sustainability principles and goals for the present and future.

Q: Have you seen a cultural shift among staff as sustainability becomes more central to your operations?

A: Jack Daniel has certainly incorporated more focus on sustainability practices and responsibilities for management that have developed over the years; however, it is not necessarily viewed as a cultural shift, due to the fact the Jack Daniel family of employees have always been mindful of conservation and environmental protection principles.

Conservation is crucial in a rural setting

Being a global company in a small, rural southern town means day-to-day operations are more likely to impact the surrounding community. This, according to Keebler and Clark, encompasses why sustainability is so important to Jack.

Q: What are your next big sustainability goals, and how will you measure success? 

A: Being a global brand, we are constantly striving to lead in sustainable improvement for distilleries and beverage manufacturers, which includes setting ambitious goals for water conservation, waste reduction, and energy efficiency.

Q: What would you say to other companies, especially those in rural or small-town communities, who think sustainable practices are out of reach?

A: Jack Daniel would stress to other companies that sustainable practices and innovative conservation methods of natural resources become even more critical in a rural setting, where limited resources may be available.  This makes it even more important to implement progressive standards of sustainability.  Although the challenges may be different in a rural setting versus a large city, any progress made toward incorporating sustainable practices can make a great impact for future generations in small-town communities. 

Q: In 50 years, how do you hope the world will look back on the choices Jack Daniel’s is making today?

A:  Jack Daniel hopes that in 50 years, the world will view our company as a consistently progressive worldwide leader in sustainable practices and a company that was a major protector of the environment and our natural resources for future generations.

If you’d like to learn more about The Jack Daniel’s Distillery’s sustainability program you can visit their website by clicking here. •

{The Lynchburg Times is a nonpartisan, independent community newspaper serving Lynchburg, Tennessee and the surrounding counties. We are dedicated to public service journalism for the greater good of our community. You can support us, by clicking here.}