Nestlé announces $2m water savings project at Gympie

Nestlé Australia has invested $2 million in new state-of-the-art technology to reduce water use in its Gympie Nescafé factory.

The new technology will cut Gympie factory’s water use by around 20 percent, saving 45 million litres, the equivalent of 18 x 50 metre swimming pools, each year.

The water savings are possible thanks to a newly installed treatment and filtration system which allows used water to be recycled on-site and used again in place of fresh water from the town supply.

Factory Manager Steve Taljaard said: “We’re committed to investing in continuous improvement of the Gympie site, including improving our environmental efficiency.

“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.”

Previously, all water used in the factory was drawn from the local town water supply and directed to the local water treatment plant.

Taljaard said: “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.”

The water savings project builds on a range of initiatives the factory has implemented to improve its environmental performance, including:

• Using 100 percent responsibly sourced coffee beans in all its products
• Using renewable sources for over 80% of the factory’s energy needs, from waste coffee grounds, sawdust, and wind
• And sending zero waste to landfill site for the past 3 years.

Picture: Nestlé Australia