We all depend on clean water – which means we all have a role to play in protecting this precious resource for our families and communities, and for future generations.
 

DOING MORE, WITH LESS: CONSERVING WATER IN OUR OWN OPERATIONS
 

Saving water is an important priority for everyone at Abbott – to ensure clean, fresh water for the future, and to save costs and resources today. We've set an ambitious goal to reduce our water intake by 30 percent by 2020, and we’re taking innovative approaches across the company to make it happen. We’ve made good progress against this goal, reducing our water intake by 18 percent to date. A few examples of our work: In India, Abbott's new nutrition plant in Jhagadia, India harnesses environmentally friendly "Karnal" technology to reuse water from the plant to nourish a new 10 acre forest of 6,800 eucalyptus and casuarina trees planted on-site. This innovative approach minimizes water waste, while creating a green area that adds to the local ecosystem. In Brazil, as part of our Menos é Mais (“Less Is More”) initiative, our pharmaceutical manufacturing plant in Rio de Janeiro treats and recycles up to 9 million liters of wastewater, using the clean water in cooling, fire systems and landscaping. In addition, more than 2 million liters of rainwater are captured and used in the facility’s air-conditioning cooling towers each year. In Singapore, we planned our nutrition plant from the ground up to minimize water use, and engage our employees to identify areas where we can further improve our performance. By applying the expertise and ingenuity of our employees, and using smart technology, we’ve reduced water use at the facility by nearly 30 percent in recent years.

Working with local communities in the U.S. and Brazil, Abbott and the Abbott Fund are sharing expertise and expanding education efforts to help our neighbors save water and improve sanitation.

HELPING COMMUNITIES TO SAVE WATER

Building on our own efforts to save water, we also work with local communities to help conserve water and improve water sanitation. A few examples:

• In the U.S. state of Arizona, we’re helping to create a culture of water conservation in local communities near our nutrition plant in Casa Grande. Working with Project WET and with support from the Abbott Fund, Abbott experts share best practices in saving water with local small businesses, homeowners and schools, and expand education programs for students. To date, we’ve helped the local community save 9.6 million gallons of water.
• In Brazil, we worked with Project WET and local communities in Rio de Janeiro to educate teachers, children and their families on best practices in water conservation, sanitation and hand washing to maintain clean water sources and protect against disease. The partnership trained 970 teachers and reached more than 20,000 community members through events and education initiatives.

For more information on World Water Day, visit the United Nations webpage: www.unwater.org/worldwaterday.

For more examples of how Abbott is saving water to safeguard the environment, click here. For information on our broader work to build a healthier, thriving society, please visit our global citizenship website at: www.abbott.com/citizenship.