Greener waters for Nestlé UK
By Canadian Packaging Staff
Sustainability Bottling Fabrication Sustainability Nestlé Waters WaterNestlé Waters to invest $56.8-million in new bottling and warehouse facility.
Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the water – it is! Nestle Waters UK is investing more than Cdn/US $56.8-million (£35-million) in a new state-of-the-art bottling facility in Buxton, UK and when it opens in the Spring of 2012, it is expected to be one of Europe’s most innovative and efficient bottling facilities.
The new factory based at Waterswallows in Buxton will combine the Nestlé Waters UK bottling facility with a warehousing capability. The new bottling lines will significantly reduce the facility’s total energy output, as well as producing the lightest weight bottled water bottles made in the UK. The innovative new bottle design will use an average of 25 per cent less PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastic than the current design, and will be used across the entire still range of Buxton Natural Mineral Water and Nestlé Pure Life.
Paolo Sangiorgi, managing director Nestlé Waters UK, says: “Demand for our bottled water brands has seen double digit growth over the last three years. This major investment in a state-of-the-art factory in Buxton clearly demonstrates our commitment to our market leading portfolio of bottled water.”
“The innovative design of the site will enable us to reduce our energy and water consumption significantly, making our business sustainable for the long term. As part of our site’s development we will also continue to work closely with the local community on projects such as our on-the-go recycling program and our Project WET (see below) schools initiative which educates teachers and children on the vital role water plays in our lives.”
The new facility will enable Nestlé Waters to continue its goal of reducing the amount of water used in its manufacturing. In addition, by the end of 2012 the site aims to be certified zero waste to landfill.
As part of the factory’s development Nestlé Waters is working to achieve an ‘excellent’ rating within the BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) environmental certification scheme. The certification assesses the innovative solutions used to minimize the environmental impact of the building, the operation’s running costs and the site’s transport infrastructure and ecology.
On the new site in Buxton, classic Derbyshire dry stone walls will feature strongly within the design and will be used to reinstate field patterns and define site boundaries. A sustainable drainage system will also manage the water that runs off from the new site. Options for utilizing the heat generated by the bottling lines to heat the warehouse and office areas are also being considered.
Improving biodiversity is another important area which has been taken into consideration as part of the new site’s design. Earlier this November, the factory introduced Nestlé’s award-winning butterfly meadow scheme onto the site. Working with the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust and the local Butterfly Conservation Group, students from Derbyshire University ‘Skills for Life’ course planted a wild flower meadow within the factory grounds with the aim of attracting many species of butterfly back to the area.
In fact, Nestlé won gold in the environment category at the Food and Drink Federation‘s Community Partnership Awards for its Butterfly Meadow scheme, the first of which was first planted at the company’s Fawdon factory. Part of Nestlé’s vision to be recognized for leadership in environmental sustainability the aim of the scheme is to attract many species of butterfly back into the surrounding area.
Nestlé Waters Project WET
Project WET (Water Education for Teachers) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to educate children, parents, teachers and the community members about the vital role water plays in our lives. In 2010 Nestlé UK launched Project WET within the Buxton community, trialling a range of hands-on classroom activities such as the ‘drop in a bucket’ experiment with teachers and children aged from 10 to 12 years old. The program aims to inspire a lifelong respect for water and encourage children to think of creative ways to protect and preserve it.
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