Through a call to the population, the Mexican Coca-Cola Industry (IMCC) reinforced its actions regarding the proper use and care of water, inviting everyone to multiply efforts in favor of the responsible management of the resource for the restoration of ecosystems and the momentum of its access.
IMCC’s support for communities is crystal clear, which is why it has set itself the goal of promoting access to clean water to more than one million people by 2030 in Mexico.
In this sense, it is that it has presented the initiative “El Amor Multiplica”, with which it seeks to continue building alliances to maximize the scope of each initiative in favor of the communities and the planet.
Positive actions for Mexico
“By acting responsibly, we make water a transparent commitment, so each of our production plants seeks to positively impact its surroundings,” the IMCC said in a statement.
This is evident in the company’s and its bottlers’ efforts to use water responsibly, improving water security where it is most needed, returning it to communities and nature.
As part of the global goal to reduce the use of this resource in production processes, to improve the availability and quality of water, ecosystems, access and governance, the IMCC has managed to treat 100% of the industrial water derived from its production.
Similarly, it has managed to increase the efficiency of its plants by 30% from 2014 to 2019, and not stop there. “By 2025 we have the goal of reducing our water consumption in production plants by 15%, that is, from 1.56 liters of water per liter of finished product to 1.41 liters of water per liter of product,” reported the IMCC.
It also actively works to return 100% of the water used in its products. An example of this is the Topo Chico plant in Monterrey, where through water faucets placed around the plant, it manages to boost the availability of the resource for the community, providing it with drinking water.
Hand in hand with the communities
With the support of the Coca-Cola Mexico Foundation, the IMCC maintains access and conservation programs for the replenishment of water bodies such as springs, rivers and lakes. Added to this is the construction of roofs and water catchment pots, community cisterns, treatment plants and purification plants.
The pots capture and accumulate rainwater for the communities, mainly to be used in domestic services, productive activities such as agriculture and livestock, as well as support in the irrigation of community nurseries.
This type of capture also creates sources of employment, in addition to representing a positive impact for forest recovery by promoting alternative activities that offer economic and in-kind resources for sustainable development.
The IMCC has also installed around 500 community cisterns, demonstrating the use of this resource for the community.
Community cisterns are an excellent means of supplying water for domestic use, irrigation of reforested areas and backyard gardens, as well as promoters of responsible water management. A year they can store 7,488 cubic meters, which is equivalent to serving 37.4 million glasses of water.
As part of the initiatives for the water access and conservation program, the IMCC developed the National Program for Reforestation and Water Harvesting, through the Coca-Cola Foundation alliance with Pro-Natura, with which since 2007 it has been managed to plant more than 80 million trees that contribute to the absorption of water in the earth, thus replenishing springs, rivers and lakes.
Nature-based actions
Last year the IMCC invested 170 million for the construction of 4 wetlands based on nature, which wetlands have the capacity to process urban water from communities, using ornamental plants to eliminate bacteria and odors, promoting a sustainable process and integrating environmentally friendly technologies.
The first of them was inaugurated in 2021 in Cihuatlán, Jalisco. Each of them will have the capacity to return an average of between 3 and 5 million liters of clean water per day, for reuse in productive processes in the communities, which in turn translate into significant income for Mexican families.
General context of water in Mexico
- In accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals embodied in the 2030 Agenda, it is currently a priority to promote access to clean water and sanitation, it is essential to achieve the well-being and development of society.
- Between 12.5 and 15 million inhabitants do not have access to drinking water in Mexico, according to the National Autonomous University of Mexico, which represents approximately 10% of the population.
- According to Conagua data, the agricultural sector concentrates 76% of consumptive uses of water, 14.4% for domestic use, 4.7% for thermoelectric plants and only 4% for industrial use, while the rest is destined for service and agribusiness.
- For “domestic and public-urban” use, 12,629 cubic hectometers/year are assigned, which means approximately 35 cubic hectometers per day, according to CONAGUA.