Nestlé invests $2m to reduce water at its factory in Qld

Nestlé Australia has invested $2 million in new technology designed to reduce water use in its Gympie factory, which has been operating since 1953. Described as the home of Nescafé, the factory produces more than 20 million cups of coffee every day — or 230 cups every second.

The new technology is designed to cut Gympie factory’s water use by around 20%, saving 45 million litres each year.

The water savings are the result of a newly installed treatment and filtration system which allows used water to be recycled onsite, instead of fresh water from the town supply.

Steve Taljaard, Factory Manager, said, “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.

“Our new filtration system will help us to save water but also deliver back to the local community,” Taljaard said.

“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 various initiatives the factory has implemented to improve its environmental performance, as it aims to reach net zero by 2050, including:

• using 100% 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;
• sending zero waste to landfill for the past 3 years.

Over the past five years, more than $20m has been invested in the factory, which exports approximately 12,700 tons of coffee each year, predominantly to New Zealand and PNG.