Jacobi Carbons, Inc. – a global supplier of activated carbon, ion exchange resins and mobile filter service solutions – has been named recipient of the 2024 Water Quality Association (WQA) Excellence Award, which honours member companies improving the lives of others through the betterment of water quality.
Jacobi Group was selected for its commitment to sustainability across the business, including its sustainable activated carbon product range that is predominantly based on coconut shell as a primary raw material. The product range serves many global applications, several of which are in the water treatment business.
“At Jacobi Group, we have a responsibility to contribute to a sustainable world,” said Remko Goudappel, CEO. “The majority of our products are not only based around coconut shell as a primary raw material, but in Europe, we also offer reactivation of spent activated carbon which has a substantial impact on our product’s global warming potential. We actually observe that our reactivated material has a 54 percent lower GWP than virgin activated carbon. Our journey has been incredibly rewarding thus far, and we are honoured to be recognized by WQA, an organization that shares our passion for the planet.”
Jacobi Group’s activated carbons are commonly used by drinking water utilities to address a variety of treatment challenges. From controlling taste and odor to reducing exposure to harmful contaminants in our water supply, including the global polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) problem. Jacobi’s teams develop specially tailored carbons and are always innovating to offer sustainable solutions.
Jim Knepper, president of Jacobi Carbons adds:
“Water providers are faced with two challenges, keeping their residents hydrated with safe water and doing so without harming the environment or the residents’ health. Our team is dedicated to providing a solution that addresses both simultaneously and will continue innovating to serve as a resource in this essential mission.”
WQA Excellence Award nominees are judged on criteria surrounding contributions to both the water treatment sector and communities in which they operate. Jacobi is embarking on a long-term sustainability journey, which includes key performance indicators around areas such as environmental impact, product quality, security of supply, and innovation amongst others. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a key focus point, with projects to help build schools and libraries in areas where they are essential, as well as sports facilities and hospitals around the world.
The company also has a global initiative named ‘GO GREEN’ which looks at where it is possible to lower the global warming potential across the business, either by replacing coal product usage for customers with coconut-based product where technically possible, or by making improvements and innovating the production process along the entire supply chain.
