To cut down on the amount of water used in its Gympie Nescafé factory, Nestlé Australia has invested $2 million in advanced technology.
A newly installed treatment and filtration system makes it possible to save water by allowing recycled water to be used in place of fresh water from the town supply.
The new technology will reduce Gympie Factory’s water consumption by approximately 20%, saving 45 million litres per year, or the equivalent of 18 50-meter swimming pools.
“Our new filtration system will help us to save water but also deliver back to the local community. It reduces the amount of local water we use, reduces the amount of used water that needs to be treated by Council, and reduces pressure on local water supplies, especially during drier seasons,” Factory Manager, Steve Taljaard said.
The factory has taken a number of steps to improve its environmental performance, and the water savings project builds on those efforts.
This includes using 100% responsibly sourced coffee beans in all of its products, utilizing renewable energy sources (wind, sawdust, and waste coffee grounds) for more than 80% of the factory’s energy needs, and sending zero waste to a landfill site for the past three years.
“Making coffee uses a lot of water, so finding ways to reduce our water use is a priority. Our new treatment system captures and recycles the water used in the coffee-making process, and that recycled water is then used in our site’s cooling towers,” Taljaard said.
The factory drew all of its water from the town’s water supply and sent it to the nearby water treatment plant.
“We’re committed to investing in continuous improvement of the Gympie site, including improving our environmental efficiency,” Taljaard added.