Background

Danone's Rotselaar factory in Belgium reduces water consumption by 75%

Published: 23/07/2020

With its latest innovation, Danone’s production site in Rotselaar, Belgium, contributes to water conservation. The plant now reuses up to 75% of the water it consumes, thus reducing up to 75% of its groundwater withdrawal. This means that the site saves more than 500 million litres of water per year – the equivalent water consumption of 4000 families, or all the inhabitants in Rotselaar itself.

The waste water from the manufacturing of the products is sent to the Danone site waste water treatment plant. The novelty lies in the fact that it is recycled thanks to the innovative membrane technology, which makes the waste water drinkable again during production. This two-stage purification of the water thus makes it possible to reuse it in a circular fashion.

The Rotselaar site is one of Danone’s flagships and its largest yoghurt production site in Europe. The Rotselaar factory manufactures different types of yoghurt: drinkable yoghurts like Actimel, and yogurt in jars, like Danone Fruit and Activia Fruit. Every week, more than 30 million bottles and 4 million pots of yogurt pass through the conveyor belt. These Danone products are consumed in more than 20 countries in Europe and around the world.

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