Poverty Footprint Study on how the Coca Cola - Oxfam America

12
Local environmental
impacts: Focus on
water and recycling
Headlines
Growing sugar requires by far the most water of all of
the activities carried out along the Coca-Cola/SABMiller
value chain.
Both of SABMiIIer’s bottling plants in Zambia and
El Salvador are engaged in community dialogue
on water use.
Full treatment of wastewater by both SABMiller bottling
plants has been well received by the community.
SABMiIIer’s bottling plants in both countries are
proactively seeking to spur local recycling industries,
given the increasing role Coca-Cola product packages
are potentially playing in the waste stream. Despite
these efforts, the recycling industry in both countries
is limited or declining.
64 Exploring the links between international business and poverty reduction
*This study did not conduct an analysis of the impacts of chemical usage in sugar cane fields.
Development, access to drinking water, sanitation
and hygiene are all strongly interconnected. A lack
of access to water can create conflict among water
users in a region, while a lack of basic sanitation
can lead to illness and a poor quality of life in
surrounding areas.*
Businesses can have a serious impact on access
and water quality based on their operations and
supply chain. When businesses operate near local
communities, they can provide a vital service by
offering access to a clean water supply and by fully
treating their wastewater. Ultimately, businesses
should take steps to ensure that they are not
infringing on the community’s access to or the quality
of water in the short or long term. Both SABMiller and
The Coca-Cola Company are members of the CEO
Water Mandate, which includes a commitment by
companies to strengthen water sustainability policies
and practices.
On July 28, 2010, the UN General Assembly adopted
a resolution63 recognizing the human right to water,
and calling on nations and international organizations
to provide financial resources, build capacity and
transfer technology to developing countries to