Coca-Cola Bottlers Japan’s Hakushu Plant Earns AWS Gold Certification
For responsible use and management of water resources (water stewardship) and promoting sustainable water resource conservation in the watershed surrounding the plant

Coca-Cola Bottlers Japan Inc. (CCBJI) is pleased to announce that its Hakushu Plant (Hokuto City, Yamanashi Prefecture) has earned the Gold Certification of Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) Standard, an international certification for the responsible use and management of water resources (water stewardship). This is the first time for a CCBJI plant to earn an AWS Standard certification.
 

The AWS Standard is an international framework for water stewardship, defined as the use of water in a manner that is socially and culturally equitable, environmentally sustainable, and economically beneficial. The AWS Standard promotes water resource management across watersheds by fostering collaboration with stakeholders and water-using sites. It also establishes criteria to ensure water is used and managed responsibly. 

At CCBJI, we are committed to conserving water resources, aiming to reduce water usage by 30% by 2030 and achieve a 200% water source replenishment rate by 2025. Our plants strictly control the water used in production, continuously refine manufacturing processes and facilities, and set targets to lower the Water Use Ratio (WUR) per liter of product. Additionally, we identify challenges in our plants’ water sources through scientific surveys conducted by a specialized agency and the Coca-Cola System’s Source Vulnerability Assessment (SVA). Based on these findings, we formulate a Water Management Plan (WMP) and implement disaster countermeasures and replenishment activities at plant water sources. Identified, land-specific water risks and vulnerabilities are compiled into a Facility Water Vulnerability Assessment (FAWVA) report, which includes risk response measures. These detailed and verified reports guide the Coca-Cola System in Japan in developing medium- to long-term strategies for sustainable water resource conservation, flood impact mitigation, and improved water use efficiency (Note 1).

The Hakushu Plant earned the Gold Certification based on a high evaluation of its commitment to reducing water usage in manufacturing and maintaining water quality in accordance with the Coca-Cola Operating Requirements (KORE) (Note 2), the global quality standard for the Coca-Cola System. This recognition also reflects efforts to understand the water balance in the surrounding watershed, anticipate future impacts and trends, and collaborate with stakeholders in the catchment area to optimize water use in the manufacturing process.

One of the main products manufactured at the Hakushu Plant is I Lohas, natural mineral water, which uses 100% recycled PET bottles and labelless packaging to simplify material separation after consumption. To reduce water usage, the plant has installed an Electron-Beam sterilization system. This system sterilizes empty PET bottles electronically without chemicals, saving approximately 400 tons of water per day per production line compared to conventional methods. In July 2020, CCBJI partnered with Yamanashi Prefecture on forest conservation agreement to develop and maintain 282.6 hectares of prefectural forest in the Hakushu Plant’s water source area as the “Coca-Cola Bottlers Japan Water Source Forest Hakushu.” This initiative has resulted in a 124% water source replenishment rate in 2023 (Note 3).

As a company that relies on irreplaceable resource of water as its primary raw material, CCBJI is committed to reducing, reusing, and responsibly treating water used in its manufacturing processes. We also collaborate with local communities to preserve sustainable water resources, ensuring abundant water for future generations.

(Note 1) Coca-Cola Bottlers Japan Inc Water Initiatives: https://en.ccbji.co.jp/csv/environment/

(Note 2) KORE 
The Coca‑Cola Operating Requirements (KORE) define the global quality standard for the Coca-Cola System. KORE is a system that covers the standards for quality, food safety, environment, and occupational health and safety in processes from the procurement of raw materials, manufacturing, logistics and transportation, and sales, through to the delivery of products to its customers. It satisfies the requirements of ISO international standards and various laws and regulations, while imposing stricter standards on itself.
https://www.ccbji.co.jp/csv/assurance/

(Note 3) Coca-Cola Bottlers Japan concludes a Collaboration Agreement for the Nurturing of Water Resources with Yamanashi Prefecture
https://www.ccbji.co.jp/news/detail.php?id=842

About Hakushu Plant
Location: 300-1 Shimokyoraishi, Hakushu-cho, Hokuto City, Yamanashi Prefecture
Start of operations: October 1997 
Site area: 32,954 square meters (9,986 tsubo)
Main products: I Lohas, natural mineral water and others. 

About AWS Standard
The Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) Standard is an international framework for achieving the best practices in water stewardship, which is defined as the use of water that is socially and culturally equitable, environmentally sustainable and economically beneficial. The AWS Standard requires companies and organizations to understand their water use and impacts and address the challenges across the watershed. The AWS Standard aims to achieve five key outcomes: good water governance, sustainable water balance, good water quality status, healthy condition of important water-related areas, safe water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) for all employees working at the plants. There are three levels of AWS Standard certification (Core, Gold, Platinum) that any organization may achieve.
AWS website: https://a4ws.org/

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