Nestlé Waters has this morning announced that 100% of the electricity used at its UK bottling plant in Derbyshire now comes from renewable sources.
The milestone forms part of Nestlé Waters’ global commitment to continuously improving environmental stewardship, including pledges to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduce environmental impact across the life cycle of its products, and increase the use of renewable electricity.
Of the renewable sources of energy used at the Buxton site, 30% comes from local hydroelectricity supplier Derwent Hydroelectric Power, which has agreed to provide power for Nestlé Waters over the next three years. The electricity will be supplied from its nearby hydroelectric facility in Belper Mills, along with the electricity generated at two of its other sites, and means that the water produced at the Nestlé Waters facility is itself powered by water.
The Buxton factory was already one of Europe’s most efficient bottling facilities, Nestlé Waters said; when it opened in 2013, the production lines at the factory enabled Nestlé Waters to reduce the amount of plastic used in packaging by an average of 25% across the range, improve water efficiency and significantly decrease its total energy output. The factory, which bottles Buxton natural mineral water and Nestlé Pure Life spring water, has since been independently accredited as zero waste to landfill, complementing existing practises in waste reduction and sustainable water management.
The switch to 100% renewably sourced electricity strengthens the business’s environmental profile.
Nestlé Waters country business manager Federico Sarzi Braga said: “At Nestlé Waters, we are committed to creating shared value – that is value for both our shareholders and society over the long term. This approach is built into our commitment to environmental sustainability. Just as each person is impacted by their environment, our business also relies on a healthy, sustainable natural environment to help us continue to supply our products which are natural mineral and spring waters. We have invested heavily in making our operations as sustainable as possible and sourcing our electricity exclusively from sustainable energy sources is another milestone on this journey. We are also proud to be working with and supporting local businesses by choosing to partner with a local hydroelectricity firm on this project.”
Buxton factory manager Charlie Roberts added: “Buxton is already one of the most state-of-the-art factories for bottling water in Europe. We frequently produce over 2 million bottles in a day of natural mineral and spring water, giving people the chance to choose a healthy beverage, and we always strive to make our products as sustainable as possible. Bottled water is widely recognised as having the lowest environment footprint of all packaged beverages and this initiative brings us closer to zero environmental impact and sees bottled water production actually powered by water!”
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