Kraft Foods reduces global plant water use by more than 20%

Tags: energy management

Water is an essential ingredient for creating delicious foods. But experts warn that it’s becoming increasingly scarce. In fact, the United Nations suggests more than one in six people worldwide don’t have ample access to safe water. So, the planet’s water resources must be better managed. That is, use less, and use it more efficiently. Kraft Foods has been doing just that, and its efforts are paying off.

Over the past three years, Kraft Foods has reduced water used in manufacturing processes by more than 3 billion gallons (nearly 12 billion liters) – enough water to fill nearly 5,000 Olympic swimming pools. That’s a 21 percent reduction since 2005, exceeding the company’s goal two years early.

“We’re changing behavior and getting results,” said Steve Yucknut, vice president for sustainability at Kraft Foods. “Around the world, thousands of our employees are working on projects that help us reduce our environmental impact. We focus on manufacturing, since that’s where we use the most water for internal operations. And we pay particular attention to water-scarce areas, where the need is greatest.”

The company has success stories from locations around the globe:

In addition, at its corporate headquarters in Northfield, Ill., three lakes on the campus capture rainwater for reuse in handling half of the property’s irrigation needs. And the building is cooled by ice – recycled water is frozen at night, and fans push the cool air the ice generates into the offices.

As a food company, Kraft Foods relies on the ability of the earth to produce the raw materials used every day to make its products. Conducting business in a way that respects the intersection of environmental, social and economic responsibility is the right thing to do and it makes good business sense. With this approach, Kraft Foods is making a delicious difference and building a better world. For more details on the company’s sustainability focus and progress, visit www.kraftfoodsbetterworld.com.

Kraft Foods is the world’s second-largest food company, with annual revenues of $42 billion. The company’s brands span American icons like Kraft cheeses, dinners and dressings; Maxwell House coffees; and Oscar Mayer meats, to global powerhouses like Oreo and LU biscuits, Philadelphia cream cheeses, Jacobs and Carte Noire coffees, Tang powdered beverages, and Milka, Cote d’Or, Lacta and Toblerone chocolates.