Measuring Our Footprint
Committed to reducing our footprint
At every step in our production process, or Product Value Chain, we look for ways to trim our carbon emissions. In 2007, we conducted our first Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventory. We looked at the Product Value Chain of our entire operation -- from upstream suppliers, to how we source, to our products, all the way through transportation. We also included impacts from contract carriers and estimated the carbon embedded in the plastic of our bottles.
The study indicated that Nestlé Waters North America’s GHG emissions in 2008 were 2.128 million tons of CO2e. This is 0.03% of all the emissions in America in that year.
Since then, we’ve significantly reduced our footprint. The charts below show where we are today, but we’re not done. We’re continually evaluating our process to go even further.
To see what we’re doing throughout our operations, see tabs below.
Our commitment to reduce emissions
Over the period of 2006-2009, our emissions decreased 3% despite an increase in our business. On a normalized basis (adjusted for growth), our emissions actually decreased 12%.
How does Nestlé Waters North America use it's energy?
We found that many of our operations are already pretty efficient. Here’s the breakdown. Our GHG study indicated that the majority of our carbon emissions come from packaging materials. That’s just one reason we’re continuing to take steps to reduce the amount of plastic we use.
Nestlé Waters North America Carbon Emissions Breakdown, 2010
*2009 Nestlé Waters North America GHG Inventory, Clear Carbon by Deloitte Consulting
What We're Doing
More efficient bottle production
We produce 98% of our bottles in our own plants, which virtually eliminates transport of empty bottles. Most companies manufacture bottles off-site that are then shipped to their factories.
Using less material in our half liter bottle has had a big impact.
From the results of the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventory Study, we learned that our biggest emissions impact came from the carbon embedded in the PET resin used in our bottles. Our long-standing effort to reduce bottle weight is reflected in our half liter Eco-shape® initiative. Weighing less than half an ounce, the bottle uses an average of 30% less plastic than similar size carbonated and non-carbonated beverages. Also, the label is 35% smaller than our previous one. By making these changes, we estimate that we’ve saved 65 million pounds of PET plastic resin and almost 10 million pounds of paper annually.
We’ve reduced our shipping impact.
Here’s how:
Today, 90% of our product shipments are direct-to-customer from our factories compared to less than 48% in 2001. And shipping miles were reduced from 318 miles per shipment in 2007 to 310 in 2010. This improvement means 10% less fuel consumed per case.
Because we ship regionally, we’re able to ship shorter distances. For example, in 2010, shipping miles were reduced to 310 from 325 miles in 2005. This practice avoids long shipping distances and reduces truck miles, fuel use, and emissions. Our contract carriers have also worked to increase the amount carried on each truck, avoiding 11,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions annually compared to 2001.
We think regionally to trim miles and emissions.
Here’s how:
Our U.S. regional spring water brands, which represent 91.5% of our retail revenue, are each primarily sold in a single geographical region. Even in the case of our national brand, Nestlé® Pure Life®, we locate our plants close to major markets.
And with our imports, we try to maintain the utmost efficiency with distribution. After they’re shipped via ocean carrier to either the East or West Coast, imports are trucked to regional distribution centers and warehouses, then on to customers. The most efficient and cost-effective method of shipment is from distribution center to customer. This eliminates the need for warehouse storage.
We increased the size of our tankers to reduce the number of trips our water trucks take.
For example, in Pennsylvania, we upgraded our tanker size from 6,500 to 8,200 gallons, resulting in the reduction of 800,000 truck or “water�? miles and a 26% decrease in truck traffic. Similar upgrades by our Canadian carriers in 2005 resulted in a 24% decrease in CO2 emissions annually since 2002.
Our Citizenship Goals
