MILAN – The Sanpellegrino Group has published the first Report on the creation of shared value which illustrates the company’s commitment to the care of a precious resource such as water, from the source to the table and beyond.
The Group generates tangible benefits in terms of its social, economic and environmental profile, for people, starting from those working for the company, their families, their clients and the communities in which it operates.
The drivers of corporate policy
The involvement of communities for the enhancement of territories, the sustainable management of natural resources and the commitment to raise healthier generations through the promotion of a correct hydration are the drivers of a corporate policy aimed at the creation of shared value, with industrial plans and investments of over 100 million Euros on the territory which encourage a sustainable growth.
The economic value generated by the Sanpellegrino Group in 2016 was 911 million Euros, an increase of 10.4% compared to 2014.
In the same year, the economic value distributed to stakeholders was 885.9 million Euros (+11.4% compared to 2014), with a growth of 14.5% in the value distributed to employees and of 7% in that returned to Public Administrations, with 161 million Euros distributed to the community through local support projects, net of tax and commissions.
The development of territories
Bottling of mineral water is an activity that cannot be relocated, and which creates employment and value in local communities.
The report highlights the close link between the company and the communities in which it operates: almost 70% of the 1,531 employees works on the territory and resides less than 10 km from a production sites.
This involves a redistribution of value of over 64 million Euros linked to the direct employment on the territory, with direct local downstream activities worth over 95 million Euros.
In the course of 2016, the Sanpellegrino Group did, in fact, generate an economic value (direct employment + direct local downstream activities) equivalent to 161 million Euros in the territories where their sources are located, a sum to which 4.4 million Euros relating to taxes and extraction licences can be added.
Growing numbers
A value destined to increase also thanks to the investments implemented and planned in Italy by the Sanpellegrino Group that in 2016 opened the Nestlé Vera plant in Castrocielo (FR).
A smart factory, 100% powered by renewable energy, with a zero emission objective and a reduction of around 25% in transport-related carbon dioxide.
This industrial project, valued at 16 million Euros, in fact, has allowed the completion of Nestlè Vera’s multi-source approach which, through the distribution of sources in the national territory, contributes to the development of local water resources and shortens the distance between bottling and consumption locations, thus reducing environmental impact.
The Flagship Factory in San Pellegrino Terme
To this can be added the investment of 90 million Euros for the completion of the Flagship Factory in San Pellegrino Terme (BG), which has the objective of making this site even more productive in terms of sustaining the company’s business in the next few years.
It will be up to the prestigious Danish architectural studio BIG to plan the S. Pellegrino mineral water’s new home, which is destined to become the Group’s showcase and an economic and tourist resource for the entire community.
Levissima, too is preparing to refurbish its plant, with a project that is strongly integrated in the territory and aimed at developing the mountains from where its water is sourced.
Sustainable management of natural resources and reduced environmental impact
The safeguarding of sources and surrounding territories is at the core of Sanpellegrino’s environmental sustainability policy that has arranged a sophisticated safety system in the water supply area to ensure the mineral water source purity.
In the buffer and protection areas, instead, the company carries out stringent checks to preserve the areas, preventing invasive or potentially polluting activities.
The Acqua Panna estate in Scarperia, in the Mugello region, is an example of this: an area of over 1,300 hectares focusing exclusively on organic agricultures and national parks for the improvement of conditions for wildlife.
The safeguard of water resources for Sanpellegrino also coincides with the optimisation of their use, through the reduction in the consumption of water in production processes, equivalent to 1.8 litres for bottled litre (- 6% compared to 2014).
The numbers of Sanpellegrino’s commitment to the environment
The Report also reflects Sanpellegrino’s commitment in terms of reduction in the environmental impact which translates into a reduction of 14.8% in the quantity of carbon dioxide emitted for the transport of each litre compared to 2012, with a saving of over 6,000 tons of PET in their packaging in the last 8 years and in the choice of sustainable logistics.
Over 41% of the water bottled by the Group travels, in fact, by rail, ultralight containers or innovative transport means powered by LNG (Liquid Natural Gas) which are 11 times less polluting compared to modern means of goods transport.
In the case of Levissima, this percentage goes up to nearly 50%, in constant growth over the last few years.
The energy performance in the Group’s plants is also continuing to improve, with a reduction of 37% in the consumption of energy since 2010 and the use of 100% of energy purchased from renewable sources. Another important aspect is the commitment to innovation in packaging: Levissima uses an innovativebottle, made with 30% of vegetable origin raw materials, used in the production of the entire La Litro range and in a sizeable part of the 150 sparkling line.
Finally, this year sees the 10th anniversary of the Levissima Glaciers Project, a partnership with the University of Milan for the study and safeguard of Italian glaciers.
The commitment to consumers’ health
Every day Sanpellegrino carries out over 4,000 quality controls during production of its own mineral waters, and 500 laboratory quality controls.
The commitment to consumers’ health runs alongside activities for the promotion of a correct hydration, with the aim of raising healthier generations, reaching one million children and parents every year with messages linked to the hydration of younger people, also through commitment to his brand targeted at families, Nestlé Vera.
by Alessandro Conte
September 26, 2017
