This year’s World Water Day highlights the ‘hidden treasure’ of groundwater and the cumulative threat that climate change and unsustainable practices are having on this source of almost all the world’s freshwater.
At the core of this is an emphasis on respect, responsible use, and sustainability. However, since last year, there has been a sense that the gravity of climate change has moved up a notch. As Food and Beverage (F&B) businesses globally have reassessed their priorities post-pandemic, concerns about water supply are being amplified and replaced by other equally pressing challenges.
Your Water Supply is Crucial, Complex, and Concerning
Water supply is an issue of global concern. No one working in the F&B industry needs reminding of its crucial day-to-day role - whether as the facilitator, essential ingredient, or by-product - in every sector and stage of production. Your product quality, sustainability program, consumers, and the environment, rely on your approach to this unique complexity.
As an increasingly scarce resource, water is a barometer for the impact of climate change and a key focus of sustainability initiatives. In some locations, acute water scarcity and drought conditions are the most stringent environmental issues to be faced. Water sources are often inadequate, and there is very little capacity for these to be replaced. These issues can then be escalated, with governments putting pressure on companies who are considered to be taking excess water out of the local water table.
An Opportunity To Refocus and Realign Your Water Approach
World Water Day is an opportunity to take stock, identify a new vision and take a moment to respond and realign to the changing water landscape. Beyond the regions experiencing acute scarcity, the pressure to act responsibly grows. It’s necessary to re-evaluate and work toward a clear and consistent strategy that recognises both complexity and disruption while optimising water use and driving sustainability across your operations.
At the heart of Diversey’s approach is a championing of the importance of water. We are actively responding to resource, market, safety and environmental challenges by structurally and strategically ensuring we can meet our customer’s quantity and quality needs, both now and in the future.
Meeting Exacting Quality Standards Wherever Water is Used
All the water you source, whether used in your products or cleaning regimes, needs to meet exacting standards to avoid contamination in order to protect your customers, the environment and your business. This also applies to every last drop that leaves your facility. Dealing with water as a by-product of production often takes place within a framework of legislation.
If production facilities fail to ensure efficient wastewater treatment, they can be subject to penalties or fines. If imposed, these eat away at profit targets, which is without factoring in the cost of a potentially negative impact on your brand image. You also need to mitigate any impact on your local community. Your business needs to be seen as responsible and sustainable as this is a consideration that is becoming a key differentiator through consumer choice and investment criteria.
A World Water Day Commitment to Make the Most of Your Water
Continuing to use water in a profligate manner is no longer an option. It is increasingly important to integrate the three ‘Rs’ of water management into your production - the reduction of consumption, in addition to a focus on recovery and recycling - achieved at a standard of hygiene and safety that has no impact on your products.
Environmental pressures on water use are substantial and only likely to grow in intensity. Nevertheless, sustainability cannot be viewed as a standalone issue. Our total solution will help you meet your regulatory requirements, promote water re-use, reduce your water and energy consumption while reducing waste so that you can achieve a significant reduction in your total cost of operations.
Make World Water Day your spur to join Diversey in making the most of your water and, as a result, in making the most of your business. Our tools help optimise total water use, reduce waste, and lessen your environmental footprint by building quality and resilience in supply from your groundwater up.