Coca-Cola Beverages Uganda (CCBU) has ramped up its efforts to improve water efficiency at its Rwenzori and Namanve plants by introducing innovative measures designed to reduce water usage.
Muminu Kirunda, the Manufacturing Development Specialist at CCBU, explains the company's approach.
“Water is essential to life, our beverages and the communities we serve. We aim to promote water stewardship within our business to increase water use efficiency and return safe water to communities.”
For CCBU, part of the Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA) group, data is a powerful tool in their water efficiency efforts. The company seeks to continuously evaluate and improve its production methods to reduce water use. This includes hourly monitoring of the returnable glass bottle line performance during the cleaning of the bottles and daily performance reviews to keep track of the amount of water used in the operations.
The company also fosters a culture of water responsibility in its operations through awareness campaigns and by appointing water champions in its plants to promote best practices, keeping water efficiency as a top priority.
“By monitoring our water usage, we are working to operate as efficiently as possible,” explains Kirunda.
These efforts are in line with a broader effort by The Coca-Cola Company in Africa and its bottling partners.
In September 2024, The Coca-Cola Company, along with its bottling partners CCBA, Equatorial Coca-Cola Bottling Company (ECCBC) and Coca-Cola HBC, announced a nearly USD 25 million investment aimed at addressing critical water-related challenges in local communities across 20 African countries.
The work will be led by the Global Water Challenge (GWC) and implemented by a consortium of partners, including The Nature Conservancy (TNC), The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
This initiative, beginning in 2024 and continuing through 2030, underscores the importance of enhancing water stewardship.