Pepsi scoops award for water efficiency

Global food and drinks producer PepsiCo has been presented with the Stockholm Industry Water Award at World Water Week after saving 16 billion litres over the past five years

The company, whose brands include Walkers crisps, Tropicana and Quaker oats, as well as Pepsi, was recognised for its efforts to cut water use throughout its operations and its supply chain, which enabled it to use 16 billion litres less water last year than in 2006.

In addition to investing in more efficient equipment, PepsiCo has installed a water management system at all its manufacturing sites, increased water recycling and reuse, and worked with farmers to cut their water consumption and grow more water-efficient crops.

“PepsiCo has set and achieved a high standard for its own operations, and has demonstrated that responsible water use makes good business sense,” said Joppe Cramwinckel, a member of the award committee and director of water projects at the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.

Accepting the award, Indra Nooyi, the CEO at Pepsico, said: “Reducing our water usage drives cost reductions and reduces our overall environmental footprint, and so we’re innovating to make the most of every drop of water used.”

The Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) presents the award, now in its 12th year, to a company that has taken action to significantly improve the sustainability of its water use. Previous winners include Nestlé, the Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority and Trojan Technologies.

The presentation took place at the 22nd Word Water Week conference being held in Stockholm, which opened this year with a call to companies and governments to do more to improve water efficiency in food supply chains, particularly by reducing food waste.

“More than one-fourth of all the water we use worldwide is taken to grow over one billion tonnes of food that nobody eats,” warned Torgny Holmgren, SIWI’s executive director at the first session of the conference.

“Reducing the waste of food is the smartest and most direct route to relieve pressure on water and land resources. It’s an opportunity we cannot afford to overlook.”

Holmgren’s comments were echoed by Colin Chartres, director-general of the International Water Management Institute. “Feeding over nine billion people by 2050 is possible, but we have to reflect on the cost to the environment in terms of water withdrawals and land resources … Saving water by reducing food waste, increasing productivity, plant breeding and waste water recycling are critical to all of us,” he said.