Projects for the Local Administration
Tap water dispensers for your sustainable city
Hera Urban Source
Urban Sources, compared to the numerous water houses built in other contexts, have an innovative ‘format’ designed by the Hera Group. Pleasant and light graphics, easily adaptable to different urban environments, characterise the image of these small kiosks, which offer citizens good water to drink.
The water that comes out of the Urban Springs comes directly from the local aqueduct network and is therefore the same as the water that comes out of the tap at home, without filters or softeners. The only difference is the temperature (the water is made cooler thanks to the refrigeration system applied on site) and any bubbles to make it sparkling.
Dedicated toll-free number available to all water house users to provide maximum support in case of need: 800 323 800
Support to municipalities in quarterly statistical reports on consumption and environmental impact of water house installation.
VERDE AQVA Project – Unica Reti S.P.A.
Project to raise awareness of public and plastic-free mains water for schools in the 30 municipalities of the Forli and Cesena province
Unica Reti SpA, an asset company of the water and gas networks wholly owned by the 30 municipalities of Forlì-Cesena, as part of its institutional activities on environmental sustainability, promotes a project to raise awareness on the issues of public network water (the Mayor’s Water) and ‘plastic free’.
The intervention, intended for the 30 member municipalities, is aimed at primary, middle and high school students and the public of libraries, places where knowledge and cultural and civic knowledge are formed for the new generations.
The fight against the environmental impact of human activities is a challenge that necessarily requires widespread and shared action, based on collaboration at a territorial level between public administrations, private activities and individuals.
Learning and teaching (docendo discimus) are important actions to be implemented starting from schools, fundamental to bring these issues into the daily practices of families, encouraging a dialogue between generations in view of a universal environmental awareness and also of the 2021 deadline when the use of single-use plastics will be banned in Europe.
Unica Reti, with the Verde Aqva/docendo discimus project, through its member municipalities will provide elementary, junior and senior high schools and libraries in the 30 municipalities of Forlì-Cesena with free water dispensers, coupled with the supply of metal water bottles to students and an awareness-raising campaign with meetings and conference shows to encourage the elimination of single-use plastic from schools.
Hera20 Project
The goal of the Hera2O Project developed by the Hera Group, in cooperation with Adriatica Acque, is to promote the consumption of tap water in the Hera Group's premises.
The project, which aims to change individual habits and behaviour, with the objective of enhancing the value of water resources and reducing the consumption of plastic bottles, was supported by an awareness-raising campaign that conveyed data on the quality of mains water in the various areas served by Hera and on the environmental as well as economic benefits of consuming tap water. The campaign logo, posters and flyers, table mats for canteens, coasters for meeting rooms, carafes with the Hera2O logo, articles in House Organ, news on company TV and on the internal portal were produced.
By drinking 340,000 litres of mains water thanks to the dispensers installed in the 5 canteens, 27 offices and 7 customer counters, Hera workers have avoided the production of more than 520,000 plastic bottles (assuming 0.50 bottles for canteens and individual use, 1.50 for offices and meeting rooms), with energy savings of about 35 toe, lower CO2 emissions of 98 tonnes and about 300 fewer bins of waste to manage.
Numerous awareness-raising initiatives have been carried out in recent years, including the free distribution, together with information material, of Hera2O water bottles to all Group employees and about 5,000 customers, and participation in numerous local events including, in Modena, the XVI IFOAM World Organic Congress in June 2008, and in Bologna in the 2008 and 2009 editions of Slow Food on Film, an international food and film festival. In 2009, it participated in the Emilia-Romagna Region’s initiatives related to the Consumable campaign, the Ecomondo fair in Rimini and the Waste, Water and Energy Festival in Ravenna.
In July 2009, a memorandum of understanding was signed by Hera S.p.A., Adriatica Acque and Legambiente Turismo for the offer of chilled still or sparkling mains water dispensers at special economic conditions to accommodation facilities that are members of Legambiente Turismo, with a commitment to raise awareness on tap water consumption.
Back in March 2007, Hera and Legambiente Turismo 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 constitutes a further step in the promotion of consumption behaviour that is more respectful of the environment as it aims to reduce the use of bottled mineral water and the related environmental impacts associated with the production of plastic and the transport of bottles (still mainly by road). According to the Beverfood 2010-2011 report, our country ranks first in Europe for mineral water consumption with 192 litres per capita consumed in 2009, more than double the European average.
Results
The Hera2O Project reduces the production and disposal of plastic bottles and the emissions of the vehicles transporting mineral water bottles. By drinking about 180,000 litres of mains water per year, thanks to the dispensers installed in canteens and offices (which have completely eliminated plastic bottles), Hera workers have avoided the production of 360,000 bottles, with lower CO2 emissions of about 82 tonnes and 200 fewer waste bins to manage per year.
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