Safeguarding our environment and our business

Protecting water resources

Water is fundamental to human health, but it is becoming an increasingly limited resource. Today, over 2.2 billion people lack access to clean drinking water. As a global food and beverage leader, we’re committed to safeguarding the water resources we use and improving access to clean drinking water for everyone. Find out how we’re taking concrete steps to help mitigate the global water crisis and foster more sustainable and resilient food systems.

Our 4R strategy

As outlined in our sustainability roadmap, the Danone Impact Journey, we’re committed to implementing our 4R strategy to Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and/or Reclaim the water in 100% of our production sites by 2030. By reducing the water we use and cleaning wastewater with water treatment equipment, we plan to cut our water losses by half compared to 2015 levels for our sites at physical water risk.^*

* Following World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) Water Risk Assessment / Water Risk Filter methodology

Our initiatives in action

In 2023, 95% of Danone production sites had an active 4R plan to reduce our overall water footprint.

²⁷⁷million litres

of water reclaimed at our Rotselaar production site in Belgium in 2023

^≥95%

Ensure ≥95% of the water intake volumes of production sites located in highly water-stressed areas are covered by watershed preservation or restoration action in place, by 2030.

Managing watersheds

Preserving ecosystems and building community resilience

Approximately 60 of our watersheds are located in areas facing significant water stress, where demand often exceeds availability. Our hydrogeologists and environmental experts implement programs to foster the natural renewal of these water resources by strengthening the surrounding ecosystems and the resilience of local water governance.

Our initiatives include nature-based solutions like agroforestry and wetland restoration. Agroforesty combines forestry, agriculture, and pastoralism. This approach reduces soil erosion, is in favor of water infiltration, and improves water quality. It also supports biodiversity and sustainable livelihoods for smallholder farmers.

Supporting sustainable agriculture

Optimizing water use in agriculture

At Danone, we’re working with our suppliers to support transition towards more resilient, water-secure food systems throughout our value chain. On one hand, we support our 64,000 farmers to support them in their transition towards regenerative agriculture - a more sustainable way of farming that protects water resources. These methods include implementing more eco-friendly irrigation techniques and using rainwater. On the other hand, all our non-farmer suppliers are required to have water management system in place to ensure water is used efficiently and no toxic wastewater is released to the environment.

Natural mineral water – a natural product

Natural mineral water is formed when rain or snow seeps into the ground in the source area and is filtered through various layers of rock over many years. Unlike many other types of water, natural mineral water must not be chemically treated to improve its quality.

Whilst natural mineral water is naturally pure, tap water is a technical product:

Around 90 additives are permitted in tap water

Natural mineral water is characterised by its natural purity and must not be chemically treated to improve its quality.

In contrast, the physical, chemical and microbiological treatment of tap water – which in Germany consists on average of 70 per cent groundwater and 30 per cent surface water – is permitted and, in many places, necessary to ensure that consumers can drink it. Water suppliers are permitted to use around 90 additives and nine disinfection methods, including to disinfect, deacidify, soften and desalinate the water. Tap water is therefore chemically clean rather than naturally pure.

Although groundwater is generally of good quality, according to the Federal Environment Agency (UBA), treatment is necessary in many regions. Surface water, on the other hand, must always be treated, according to the UBA.

Natural mineral water guarantees natural purity

Natural mineral water, which originates from deep underground water protected from contamination, is naturally pure right from the source and is therefore safe to drink straight away. 

All mineral springs are subject to the limit and guideline values prescribed in the Mineral and Table Water Ordinance (MTVO). Significantly stricter standards apply to natural mineral water than to tap water. Incidentally, natural mineral water is the only foodstuff in Germany that is officially recognised. Disinfection with chlorine or other chemical agents is strictly prohibited. The high quality is fully guaranteed at all times until the bottle is opened, as natural mineral water is bottled directly at the source to ensure its original purity. Further information on this is available on the Dialog Mineralwasser website.

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Discover Redesigning our packaging