International fast-food giant, Pizza Hut, is ramping up its efforts to reach net zero with the support of national water retailer, Wave. The partnership has not only contributed to substantial water savings for the business, but also cost savings of over £19,000.
In line with Pizza Hut’s net zero by 2050 target, the company is investing heavily in making its operations more sustainable, with a particular focus on water efficiency.
In the UK, over 3 billion litres of water are wasted every day, equating to roughly 25% of the UK’s daily water consumption. Prioritising water efficiency supports businesses with decarbonisation goals, but for those facing water waste and leakage, there are also substantial cost implications to consider.
Looking to eliminate wasted water, Pizza Hut has partnered with UK water retailer Wave to help manage the water efficiency of over 130 of its UK sites, one of the many actions the restaurant chain is making to meet net zero goals.
As reaching net zero is no mean feat, Pizza Hut has created an attainable staggered approach, which aims to reduce Scope 3 emissions by 55% before 2030 and for the dine in arm of their chain to achieve net zero by 2040.
High consumption alerts that notify Pizza Hut if their water usage is over 20% higher than the usual read is one of the most significant ways Wave is supporting the global pizza chain to eliminate wasted water. These alerts allow the business to better manage their consumption and act promptly should any leakage be detected.
Malcolm Merry, Head of property services at Pizza Hut, said: “Every business must take responsibility for their role in achieving net zero and at Pizza Hut we have adopted a very proactive approach. A great reflection of this was our recognition by the Sustainable Restaurants Association for our work to improve the operational practices for our use of gas, electricity, and water.
“Working with Wave helps us to easily understand and manage our consumption and to quickly rectify any issues that arise. We have used their leak detection team on numerous occasions and the service levels provided are a continuation of the high levels we have become used to working with Wave. Often commercial utility management can be complicated, however working with Wave has been instrumental in strengthening our water efficiency efforts.”
As a result of Wave’s high consumption alerts five instances of leakage and water inefficiency were detected and swiftly rectified over a four-month period, which contributed to annual water savings of over £19,000 for Pizza Hut.
Oli Shelley, Head of Water Efficiency Services at Wave, said: “Water is often overlooked by many businesses when it comes to their ESG strategy, but it really does play a significant part, with business’ consuming 30% of the UK’s total water supply. Pizza Hut has a responsible goal to be net zero by 2050 and we are so pleased to be supporting them meet their water efficiency goals.
“While identifying and rectifying water inefficiencies contribute towards businesses reaching their sustainability goals, it also carries with it significant cost savings, so it really is a no brainer for businesses to keep on top of their usage and look out for new ways to improve their water efficiency.”
