World Water Week organised by Stockholm International Water Institute is celebrated annually to encourage everyone to think how we can manage water more sustainably. This year, it’s focusing on using innovative solutions. Nestlé Waters has been working with a specialist company to use an innovative and wildlife friendly solution to remove an invasive, non-native plant species on a Buxton site.
Japanese Knotweed has been found at the Cowdale Quarry, a site owned by Nestlé Waters and managed by Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, to protect and promote the sites environment. The 36-hectare site just under a mile east from Buxton town centre is made up of meadows and pastures and is hoped to provide more homes for some of Derbyshire's birds, mammals, and flowers.
The site is being managed in line with Nestlé Waters’ water stewardship strategy, designed to care for water, promote biodiversity, and help create positive water impact. All land management practices are chemical-free, including removing Japanese Knotweed from the site.
Nestlé Waters is working with a specialist company who use innovative thermo-electric technology to eradicate the plant. The Japanese Knotweed Agency use 5,000 volts of electricity to the stems, crowns, and root system of the knotweed, destroying its internal cell structure, and making it impossible to grow back.
Hayley Lloyd House, Head of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability at Nestlé Waters UK, said: “We are one of the first few companies in the UK to use the thermo-electric technology to remove Japanese Knotweed from our site at the former Cowdale Quarry. Eradicating the knotweed will have a positive impact on biodiversity, allowing native species to thrive on the land. We are committed to regenerating the local water cycles wherever we operate globally, including the Derwent Catchment, where our Buxton site is located. It’s where we bottle and source Buxton Natural Mineral Water and Nestlé Pure Life spring water, and we work hard to care for the environment, championing nature-based solutions wherever possible.”
Nestlé Waters is dedicated to protecting the planet’s natural resources which is a foundation of Nestlé Waters’ global sustainability strategy and local actions. The company is working on nature-based solutions to help address shared water challenges, and the loss of biodiversity – all in line with Nestlé’s ambition to become Net Zero by 2025.
Notes to editors
About Nestlé Waters
Part of Nestlé, the Nestlé Waters portfolio comprises international premium and mineral water brands, historic and local European water brands and beverages. We have 47 sites and 21,000 people across the globe and are committed to the sustainability of our operations and the protection of natural aquifers. Find more information at: Natural mineral & purified waters | Nestlé Global (nestle.com).
In the UK these include our local brands, Buxton Natural Mineral Water, Nestlé Pure Life and Princes Gate, as well as our international brands San Pellegrino, Acqua Panna and Perrier.
The Nestlé Waters site in Buxton was the first manufacturing site in the UK to achieve the prestigious Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) Standard certification with platinum status in 2021 – the highest certification level. The Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) Standard is the international accredited standard for measuring responsible water stewardship across social, cultural, environmental, and economic criteria.