Nestlé Australia says the $2 million state-of-the-art water saving technology it has installed at its factory in Gympie, 2.5 hours north of Brisbane, Queensland, will save 45 million litres of water a year.
Nestlé has had a factory in Gympie for 70 years and currently employs more than 130 people. The plant is now home to the Nescafé coffee brand, producing more than 20 million cups of coffee every day, or 230 cups per second. It also exports around 12,700 tonnes of coffee a year, mainly to New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.
The water saving project is the latest investment by Nestlé in the plant, with more than $20 million invested in the past five years as the company towards net zero emissions by 2050.
Factory manager Steve Taljaard said the installation takes pressure off the town water supply.
“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,” Taljaard said.
Before the new system, all water used in the factory came from the local town water supply and then to the local water treatment plant.
“Our new filtration system will help us to save water but also deliver back to the local community.
“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,” he said.
The plant has implemented other environmental initiatives in recent years, with spent coffee grounds, locally sourced sawdust, and wind used to produce 83 per cent of the energy used in operations.
The Gympie factory has sent zero waste to landfill since 2021.
Nestlé has six factories in Australia, including five in regional areas and employs more than 2000 people. It works with 17 local co-manufacturers and packers.
It also manufactures a dedicated Nescafé Blend 43 product in partnership with Foodbank Australia, supplying more than 12.5 million cups of coffee to foodbanks each year, as well as supporting charities and projects in local communities.
