H10. Water
Essity’s Group water target is to reduce levels of suspended solids by 10% by 2020, with 2014 as reference year. Our tissue operations will also reduce water usage and organic content (BOD) by 10% by 2020, with 2014 as reference year.
In 2017, our plants surpassed the target and reduced suspended solids by 19.7%. Our tissue operations reduced water usage by 4.7% and the amount of organic content (BOD) by 25.4%.
Usage and discharge of water
Most of the water consumed in the Group’s is used to transport fibers during production processes and the remainder is mainly used as cooling water. 74% of the water used is drawn from surface sources. Essity’s reporting of water usage states totals for surface water, groundwater and municipal water systems. Essity’s effluent water is divided into cooling water and process water. Cooling water has simply been heated and is not contaminated in any way. The total volume of discharged process water is 72 Mm3. The water is treated using mechanical and biological treatment systems. The figures for 2017 refer to process water emissions.
The emissions to water stated in the tables comprise COD, BOD, suspended solids, AOX, P and N. Methods of measuring differ in some respects.
In 2017, the Group used 104 million cubic meters of water in pulp and paper production.
Water emissions, N, P
Water emissions, suspended solids
Distribution of water supply
