Beverage Brands Prioritizing Water Management
Water management has become a top priority in many beverage manufacturers’ sustainability programs. Several leading beverage brands set water conservation and sustainable management goals to reduce water-to-product ratios (amount of water used to produce the beverage product compared to the final volume of the product) and replenish water used to make their beverages—many with a target date of 2020. Here are two brands leading the way in sustainable water management:
Coca-Cola
An industry leader in sustainability and one of the world’s most recognized brands, Coca-Cola has made great strides in minimizing water used in its products and replenishing water supplies in nature and communities across the globe.
2020 Goals
- Replenish every liter of water used in global sales volume and production
- Progress: The company met their goal five years ahead of schedule, replenishing the equivalent of 115% of water used to nature and communities in 2015 through community water projects
- Reduce water-to-product ratio to 1.7:1
- Progress: In 2015, the company used 1.98 liters of water to produce 1 liter of product, marking the first time Coca-Cola achieved a ratio less than 2.0
MillerCoors
Another beverage manufacturer leading the way in water management practices is the MillerCoors company. The company’s robust sustainability program features a water stewardship strategy that focuses on efficient water use in direct operations and sustainable watershed management.
2020 Goals
- Restore a volume of water equal to the final product volume from all breweries
- Progress: In 2015, the company restored 19.47% of the production volume to water-stressed watersheds
- Reduce water-to-beer ratio to 3:1
- Progress: The company attained a 29:1.0 water-to-beer ratio in 2015
Coca-Cola and MillerCoors are merely two examples of the commitment made by many beverage companies to reduce water used in manufacturing through the use of efficient water management practices.
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