HERA2O PROJECT
The goal of the Hera2O Project developed by the Hera Group, in collaboration with Adriatic Waters, is to promote the consumption of tap water in the hera Group’s offices.
The project, which aims to change individual habits and behaviours, with the aim of enhancing the water resource and reducing the consumption of plastic bottles, was supported by an awareness campaign that conveyed data on the quality of network water in the different territories served by Hera and on the environmental and economic benefits of the consumption of tap water. The campaign logo, posters and flyers, canteen tablecloths, meeting room coasters, Hera2O logo jugs, Articles on House Organ, company TV news and internal portal were produced.
Drinking 340,000 litres of network water thanks to the dispensers installed in the 5 canteens, In 27 locations and in 7 customer counters, Hera workers avoided the production of more than 520,000 plastic bottles (hypothesized bottles of 0.50 for canteens and individual uses, from 1.50 for offices and meeting rooms), with an energy saving of about 35 tep, lower CO2 emissions equal to 98 tons and about 300 nets in less waste to manage.
Numerous awareness initiatives have been carried out in recent years, including the free distribution along with information material, Hera2O bottles, all the group’s workers, and about 5000 customers, the participation in numerous local events including, in Modena the 16th World Congress of Organic IFOAM in June 2008 and in Bologna in the 2008 and 2009 editions of Slow Food on Film , international film and food festival. In 2009 he participated in the initiatives of the Emilia-Romagna Region related to the Consumable campaign, the Ecomondo fair in Rimini and the Festival of Waste, Water and Energy of Ravenna.
In July 2009, the Memorandum of Understanding for the supply of smooth or carbonated refrigerated network water to legambiente Turismo, was signed by Hera S.p.A., Adriatica Waters and Legambiente Turismo, to the accommodation facilities that are members of Legambiente Turismo with a commitment to raising awareness of the consumption of tap water.
As early as March 2007, Hera and Legambiente Turismo had signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the development of environmental sustainability projects aimed at reducing waste in accommodation facilities that comply with the decalogue defined by Legambiente. The 2009 protocol is part of the Hera2O project and is a further step in promoting more environmentally friendly consumer behaviours as it aims to reduce the use of bottled mineral water and its environmental impacts related to plastic production and bottle transport (still predominantly on rubber). According to the Beverfood 2010-2011 report, our country is in fact the first place in Europe for consumption of mineral water with 192 liters per capita consumed in 2009, more than double the European average.
RESULTS
Hera20 Project reduces the production and disposal of plastic bottles and the emissions of the vehicles carrying bottles of mineral water. Drinking about 180,000 litres of network water a year, thanks to the dispensers installed in the canteens and offices (which completely eliminated plastic bottles), Hera’s workers avoided the production of 360,000 bottles, with lower CO2 emissions for about 82 tons and 200 fewer waste bins to be managed per year.