Nestlé Waters UK invests £31m into Buxton operations

Nestlé Waters is investing around £31 million into its Buxton factory in an effort to boost capacity, improve distribution and reduce carbon emissions.

The investment includes a £26 million extension to the UK factory’s warehouse facility as it intends to bring distribution in house and £5 million into the construction of a new pipeline from a nearby natural mineral water source.

Nestlé claims the new 14,000 metre-squared facility will significantly reduce the need for external storage and will result in more efficient distribution delivery directly from the Buxton site.

By removing the need for transportation from the Buxton bottling plant to external warehouses, the company has estimated that it will cut its CO2 emissions by around 480 tonnes every year based on current volumes.

Meanwhile, Nestlé plans to connect its existing factory to the Rockhead spring at Cowdale Quarry – which it acquired in 2018 – with a 4.6km pipeline running underground.

Both projects aim to improve efficiency and optimise capacity at the site, as well as create sustainable growth opportunities. The latter will be conducted through careful management of water sources, storage and transportation which will in turn reduce carbon emissions.

Nestlé Waters’ recent investment comes shortly after the company announced its partnership with waste management firm Biffa to progress its commitment to make every Buxton bottle from 100% recycled PET by 2021.

“I am really pleased to be making such a significant investment in the long-term future of our site, the largest since it was opened,” said Michel Beneventi, managing director for Nestlé Waters in the UK.

He added: “Water is one of the healthiest ways to hydrate and with these developments, we are creating the opportunity to improve the efficiency of our operations even more and increase capacity in a careful and sustainable way.”

Hayley Lloyd House, head of corporate affairs and sustainability for Nestlé Waters UK, said: “This investment further cements our long-term partnership with the Buxton community and shines the spotlight on our sustainable operational improvements as we strive to become carbon neutral by 2025.”

Both investments are expected to be completed in the spring of 2021.