Crown Holdings 2022 Sustainability Report: Water Management & Scarcity - Preserving a Precious Resource

NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / March 5, 2024 / Crown Holdings, Inc.

Originally published in Crown Holding's 2022 Corporate Responsibility Report

Water scarcity is affecting an increasing number of regions worldwide. Our recognition of the need to use water with considerable care is the driver behind the Resource Efficiency pillar of our Twentyby30 sustainability program and grounds our comprehensive water stewardship strategy. We understand that we must be good stewards of this limited and shared resource that is vital to the well-being of the environment, human beings and business operations.

Our Use of Water

Water is used in many steps of our manufacturing and filling processes. In our facilities, it supports the forming, washing, rinsing and cooling of beverage cans and glass bottles, as well as the separation of sand for glass production. It is also an important element in the manufacture of aluminum and the production of the various beverages made by our customers. Even though Crown's facilities require freshwater inputs, most of this water returns to the water system and zero water is present in our final product. As a result, beyond evaporation, Crown does not consume water on its final products except for a minimal amount of water attached to the sand sub-product of the glass making process.

We source water from a combination of third parties, surfaces and wells, depending on the operating location. Once utilized, water is sent through an onsite wastewater treatment system prior to its discharge. While a few locations release directly into surface water areas, approximately 95% of our facilities discharge into third-party municipal wastewater treatment systems. Plants that treat wastewater on-site monitor at minimum biological oxygen demand ("BOD") and chemical oxygen demand ("COD") parameters, in addition to any parameters required by local discharge and/or operational permits. All discharge follows local regulations. In some cases, including our operations in Mexico and Brazil, the quality of the water discharged is superior to the water that is withdrawn.

Our Approach

With a diverse geographic footprint, environmental conditions vary from plant to plant. We identify waterrelated impacts by evaluating annually the specific data in each of our locations and developing action plans to address identified risks and opportunities. Our assessments include our incoming and outgoing water as well as the sources and points of discharge. Our water withdrawal is validated through an external third-party verification process. The World Resources Institute's (WRI) Aqueduct global water risk mapping function also helps us assess water stress and understand which of our sites are located in water-scarcity areas. These sites are subject to partnered replenishment projects, which aim to preserve watersheds for the importance they hold in the community and the environment. We have also signed the United Nation's CEO Water Mandate and committed to collective action to replenish 100 watersheds. This work aligns with our Twentyby30 goal to replenish 100% of water consumed from high scarcity watersheds by 2030.