Nestlé factory reduces water use by almost two thirds in less than 12 months
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Nestlé S.A. /
Nestlé factory reduces water use by almost two thirds in less than 12 months
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A combination of new technology and employee awareness training has enabled a
Nestlé factory in La Penilla, northern Spain to reduce its water use per tonne
of product by almost two thirds in less than 12 months.
It is just one of a number of water-saving initiatives the company has
introduced at its factories around the world over the past decade: allowing it
to reduce total water withdrawal in absolute terms by almost one third, while
increasing production, so that water use per tonne of product has actually been
halved.
Nestlé aims to further reduce water withdrawal per tonne of product by two
fifths by 2015, compared to 2005.
Changing habits
At the beginning of last year, Nestlé's factory in La Penilla, which makes
chocolate, confectionery, milk and infant formula, was using 72 cubic metres of
water per tonne of product.
Now, after introducing changes such as a water efficiency programme, and
investing one million euros (CHF 1.2 million) it has reduced this by 60% without
increasing energy consumption or greenhouse gas emissions.
"At the beginning, it was challenging to change the habits of the operators, who
were used to working in a specific way," explained Ramon Montserrat, Head of
Engineering and Packaging Services for the Iberian Region.
"We convinced them by explaining the project and why we care about saving
water."
Simple modifications
A team of engineers, environmental sustainability experts and the factory
manager at La Penilla helped to analyse how the site could reduce its water
usage.
The amount of water flowing through the condensers of the milk evaporators, for
example, was regulated in a more efficient way to achieve the required vacuum on
the equipment.
This single and simple modification has led to a reduction of more than
1,000,000 cubic metres of water per year, the equivalent of 400 Olympic swimming
pools.
The factory also installed three new cooling towers with a more efficient closed
refrigeration loop system, which recycles water, leading to an additional 25%
less water being used in the first half of 2013.
The amount of water that the factory needs to operate, and therefore the amount
of water withdrawn from the nearby River Pisueña, is now significantly lower.
The increased water efficiency has also made business sense by reducing water
costs.
Precious resource
Water is essential to Nestlé's operations and the company is committed to being
the most efficient water user among food manufacturers. It closely monitors
water impact and use in all its factories.
The La Penilla factory is just one of many cases where Nestlé is using both
simple changes and cutting-edge technology to reduce water withdrawal and
increase its efficient use.
In Mexico, where water is scarce in many areas, a project in the company's Lagos
de Moreno factory collects water that condenses during the milk evaporation
process and recycles it for use in other parts of the site. The project will
save an estimated 546,000 cubic metres of water, the equivalent of more than
200 Olympic swimming pools of water, by the end of 2014.
In 2013, Nestlé published its Commitments on Water Stewardship, highlighting the
importance of water access and conservation.
Nestlé and water stewardship quick facts:
· 6.9 million cubic metres of water recycled in 2012
· More than 489 water-saving projects in factories saving
6.5 million cubic metres
· 184 clean drinking water projects launched in the South
Asian region, helping to improving access and sanitation for more than 100,000
students in village schools across several countries
Fact sheet:
Water efficiency in Nestlé operations (pdf, 91Kb)
http://www.nestle.com/asset-library/Documents/Media/news-and-features/2013-
August/Facts-figures-Nestle-waterefficiency-EN.pdf
Related information:
Nestlé Creating Shared Value: Water
http://www.nestle.com/csv/water
Water Challenge - a blog by Nestlé Chairman Peter Brabeck-Letmathe
http://www.water-challenge.com/default.aspx
The Nestlé Policy on Environmental Sustainability (pdf, 3Mb)
http://www.nestle.com/asset-
library/documents/library/documents/environmental_sustainability/nestl%C3%A9%20p
olicy%20on%20environmental%20sustainability.pdf
Nestlé Commitment on Water Stewardship (pdf, 198Kb)
http://www.nestle.com/asset-library/documents/reports/csv%20reports/water/water-
stewardship-commitment-january-2013.pdf
Facts and Figures: Water in our operations
http://www.nestle.com/csv/water/operations
Read more stories about Nestlé's manufacturing operations:
Nestlé steps up European production with investment in Spain
http://www.nestle.com/media/newsandfeatures/pontecesures-factory-investment
Nestlé builds state-of-the-art factory in Buxton, United Kingdom
http://www.nestle.co.uk/media/pressreleases/Pages/Nestl%C3%A9Watersbuildsnewstat
e-of-the-artfactoryinBuxton.aspx
Nestlé USA pizza division reduces water usage
http://www.nestleusa.com/media/pressreleases/PizzaPlantReducesWaterUsage
Media enquiries
Tel: +41 21 924 2200
Email: mediarelations(at)nestle.com
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Source: Nestlé S.A. via Thomson Reuters ONE
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Datum: 30.08.2013 - 10:18 Uhr
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News-ID 292419
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