Reducing water use

• Since 2001 we have reduced our water use ratio by 21%.
• Our usage has dropped by 7.5% since 2006, when it was 1.59 litres of water per litre of drinks produced.

In our last report, we stated our aim was to reduce our water use ratio to 1.5 litres per litre of drinks. So we have already beaten this target and are now planning further improvements.

• At a European level, Coca-Cola Enterprises is targeting a 10% reduction in our water use ratio by 2010, based on a 2007 baseline
• This equates to an approximate 3% reduction per year from 2008 to 2010.

In addition, our global commitment is to establish Coca-Cola Enterprises as a water sustainable operation by 2020. In doing so, we aim to minimise our water use and have a water neutral impact on the local communities in which we operate. This means safely returning the equivalent to the amount we use in our beverages and their production to these communities and their environment.

With these commitments in mind, we have undertaken a variety of initiatives across our GB operations:

Investing in metering systems

In our last report, we stated that we had invested in metering systems at East Kilbride and Wakefield. Often an organisation is only aware of its overall water consumption, but not how the water is used. So we installed a monitoring and targeting system, as well as water meters.

As a result, we have been able fully map our water use patterns, identify consumption needs, benchmark usage and identify opportunities.

• During 2007/8 we continued to invest in metering across our other sites and develop our use of these systems
• By the end of 2009, we plan to have water meter systems in place at all manufacturing sites in Great Britain

Reducing consumption at East Kilbride

At our East Kilbride manufacturing site, we've been working hard to reduce our water consumption and have made a number of changes to our processes to save water. These include reducing the frequency of backwashing of our water treatment filters, optimising our Clean-In-Place (CIP) routines - which take place when we change flavour on our production lines- and improving the efficiency of our container rinsers. As a result we improved the water usage ratio at the site by 17% between 2006 and 2008

Assessing water efficiency

We have carried out specific water efficiency assessments at several of our manufacturing sites. This involves detailed measurement and analysis, using a custom-built model that benchmarks the water consuming parts of our processes. This gives an indication of where we can be more efficient.

For example, at the Sidcup manufacturing site, our team has carried out a detailed analysis of water use by the production lines by fitting around 45 individual water meters. These are monitored on a weekly basis to evaluate use, identify trends and spot opportunities.

• Projects such as these have helped us reduce our water use ratio at Sidcup by 22%
• The site has plans to further reduce water use in 2009 and beyond