Pilgrim’s Europe has slashed its mains water use by more than 26 million litres in three years via a partnership with sustainable water specialist PureTec Separations.
The initiative recovered and reused water captured during the softener regeneration process at the pork, chicken and lamb giant’s site in Spalding, Lincolnshire.
Water that would have otherwise been lost was collected and stored through a low-cost diversion system engineered by PureTec.
It was then reused for livestock lorry washdowns.
Daily average water savings of 40 cubic metres have been made since the project was commissioned in May 2022, according to the food giant.
The system was fully integrated into its existing infrastructure without affecting hygiene or production processes.
The project was also said to be delivered with minimal capital investment and no operational downtime. It eased pressure on local supply and supported long-term water security within its operations, the company said.
“Our project with PureTec demonstrates how targeted, practical innovations can unlock major sustainability gains across the supply chain,” said Josephine Blundy, director of sustainability at Pilgrim’s Europe.
“It shows that well-engineered solutions can have a meaningful impact on resource efficiency while maintaining the highest operational standards.”
Aaron Rowlstone, principal service engineer at PureTec Separations, said: “By diverting and reusing water, we’ve helped strengthen the site’s water security while cutting costs and environmental impact. It’s a practical example of how food processors can make every drop go further, without compromising hygiene or performance.”
Pilgrim’s Europe, which employs 17,000-plus team members across 40-plus sites in the UK, Ireland, France and the Netherlands, also recently fitted hundreds of solar PV modules to its Wirral-based Bromborough facility to help reduce its carbon footprint.
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