Food & Beverage

The highly fragmented and geographically diverse food & beverage sector is at the leading edge of industrial verticals in terms of annual spend on water & wastewater management. Although, companies across the industry are being forced to confront and adapt to new market conditions that will impact eater management strategies:

• Uncertain recovery from Covid-19, including restaurant reopenings and door-to-door delivery that influence food preferences and packaging
• A increase in plant-based milks and meat alternatives that are prompting new, greenfield processing facilities and associated water & wastewater treatment systems
• Climate change, water scarcity, that are driving corporate sustainability, risks to operations and brands.

Over the last five years, breweries have scaled significantly on the heels of urban demand for smaller, craft beer brands. At the close of 2020, there were more than 7,900 facilities in the U.S. alone, of which approximately 75 were large corporates. Wastewater represents the largest share of spend at 59%, driven by rising municipal tariffs and surcharges for disposal of high organic loads. As a result, beer and wine producers, globally, are being targeted by vendors offering decentralized and onsite advanced treatment systems, water reuse, and energy capture to reduce operating costs and sustainability branding. >>Learn More

The global bottled water market has surpassed US$175 billion annually, with a growth rate of approximately 5%. While bottled water can be a necessity in regions lacking reliable public water supplies, its growth, particularly in developed countries, speaks more to industry marketing it as a safer, cleaner alternative to tap water. Seemingly insignificant, this messaging undermines confidence in municipal utility services which are, in fact, typically subject to more stringent testing and monitoring requirements and supply between half and two-thirds of bottled water vendors. >>Learn More