Calculating the environmental footprint of drinking water for businesses
With the introduction of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and increasingly stringent environmental regulations, the need for reliable data to measure the environmental impact of organisations continues to grow. When calculating a company's environmental footprint, the focus is often placed on vehicle fleets, energy consumption and heating.
Yet one everyday source of environmental impact is still frequently overlooked: workplace drinking water. Organisations aiming to calculate their environmental footprint in detail quickly discover that pre-packaged bottled water is one of the least efficient logistical flows in an office environment.
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What is a water footprint?
When calculating a company's environmental footprint, it is essential to include its water footprint. This measures the amount of freshwater an organisation uses, both directly and indirectly, to support the production of goods and services and the day-to-day operation of its workplace.
Water consumption consists of two components:
- Direct water use: The water that flows directly from the tap in the office for drinking, sanitary facilities and cleaning. In Belgium, tap water costs an average of €4.00 to €5.00 per m³ (1,000 litres) and has a relatively low environmental impact.
- Indirect water use (virtual water): The water hidden in the production of goods. In the case of bottled water, this hidden impact is substantial. Producing, packaging and cooling a one-litre plastic bottle requires up to four litres of water, in addition to significant fossil energy consumption.
Would you like to gain a complete overview of your organisation's water footprint? Consult the guidelines published by MVO Vlaanderen for a comprehensive carbon footprint assessment.
Tap water vs. bottled water: comparing the environmental footprint
When calculating an environmental footprint, the difference between tap water and bottled water quickly becomes apparent. For organisations looking to accurately measure their environmental impact, the choice of drinking water solution should not be overlooked.
Research shows that the carbon and environmental footprint of chilled tap water can be up to 300 times lower than that of bottled water. This significant difference can be explained by three stages in the bottled water lifecycle:
- Packaging production: Extracting raw materials and manufacturing PET bottles or single-use glass bottles require large amounts of energy and virgin resources.
- Transport and logistics: Delivering heavy crates and pallets creates a continuous stream of Scope 3 carbon emissions and increases the logistical footprint of your organisation.
- Cooling and waste processing: The energy required to chill bottled water and the processing of packaging waste also contribute significantly to your office's overall environmental impact.
Why workplace beverages are a Scope 3 blind spot
Many organisations invest heavily in improving the energy performance of their buildings while continuing to have thousands of litres of bottled water delivered every week. Companies calculating their environmental footprint soon discover that this supply chain also has a significant impact on their overall environmental performance.
Bottled water in the workplace is one of today's most avoidable transport flows. By making optimal use of the existing tap water infrastructure, you eliminate an entire logistics chain without compromising on taste, convenience or user experience.
How can I calculate the environmental footprint of office water consumption?
Curious about the difference a sustainable drinking water system could make for your organisation? The AQUALEX Impact Calculator provides clear insights into the numbers. It enables you to calculate your company's environmental footprint and instantly see how much CO₂ emissions, transport, plastic waste and costs you can save by switching to a sustainable drinking water solution.
The annual impact of bottled water for 700 employees
When applying the AQUALEX Impact Calculator to an organisation with 700 employees, the environmental impact of bottled water becomes immediately clear. For businesses calculating their environmental footprint, these figures reveal a frequently underestimated source of emissions:
- 45,295 kg of CO₂ emissions – equivalent to 35 return flights between Brussels and Qatar for one person.
- 484,166 kWh of energy consumption – equal to the average annual electricity use of 165 Belgian households.
- 5,250 kg of plastic waste – the equivalent of 1,750 fully filled PMD recycling bags.
- 525,000 litres of water consumed across the entire value chain – comparable to 4,375 full baths.
By switching to a plumbed-in drinking water system from AQUALEX, you virtually eliminate this logistical and environmental impact.
Would you like to see the figures for your own organisation? Use the AQUALEX Impact Calculator to calculate your company's environmental footprint and receive an immediate overview of both the environmental and financial benefits you could achieve.
Real-world examples: reducing environmental footprints at three pioneering workplaces
Leading Belgian organisations demonstrate that calculating a company's environmental footprint leads to valuable insights and measurable sustainability improvements. By assessing the impact of their workplace drinking water solutions, they have taken concrete steps towards significantly reducing their environmental footprint.
Case 1: Randstad saves 600,000 plastic bottles every year
At Randstad, one of Europe's leading HR service providers, a conscious decision to switch to sustainable drinking water also delivered measurable results. After years of relying on bottled water coolers and bottled water, which generated large volumes of waste and created additional hygiene challenges, Randstad chose a future-proof solution from AQUALEX.
Christelle Mertz, Facilities Coordinator at Randstad, explains:
"Unlike traditional bottled water coolers and bottled water, which created real challenges in terms of waste and hygiene, AQUALEX stood out thanks to its sustainable approach and its ability to address today's mobility and flexibility needs. The results at Randstad were immediate: we now reduce our PMD waste by 65% each year, the equivalent of 600,000 half-litre plastic bottles. On top of that, we've achieved significant cost savings and benefit from online access to service reports, making facility management much more efficient."
Today, AQUALEX drinking water systems are installed in more than 90 Randstad offices. It is a strong example of how calculating a company's environmental footprint can lead to sustainable decisions with a measurable impact.
Case 2: Delen Private Bank eliminates packaging waste and transport
At Delen Private Bank, sustainability is also at the heart of workplace management. To structurally reduce waste and the environmental impact of transport, the bank decided to replace PET and glass bottles entirely with plumbed-in drinking water systems.
Evert Saladin, Logistics Facility Manager at Delen Private Bank, explains the decision:
"To reduce our waste, we wanted to eliminate the use of PET and glass bottles, which had a significant impact in terms of both waste and transport. We installed several tap water systems providing still and sparkling water in our staff restaurant and all kitchenettes. From a logistics perspective, a plumbed-in drinking water system is far more efficient than bottled water."
Anne-Sophie Delen, Head of Marketing, adds:
"Our personalised Delen Private Bank bottles complete the brand experience."
For organisations looking to calculate their environmental footprint, this example shows that choosing a sustainable drinking water solution can make a tangible contribution to reducing overall environmental impact.
Case 3: Certipower gives its office a sustainable and stylish upgrade
For Certipower, a specialist in sustainable energy solutions, sustainability starts in the workplace itself. By choosing an AQUALEX drinking water system, the company not only reduced its waste stream but also significantly lowered the daily logistical impact associated with bottled water.
Fons Walleyn, Marketing Officer at Certipower, explains:
"The AQUALEX drinking water tap has truly upgraded our office. Having instant access to chilled, hot and sparkling water from one elegant tap makes a world of difference. No more carrying heavy water bottles and no more plastic waste – something that is very important to us as a company. Our employees really appreciate both the quality and the taste of the water."
This case demonstrates how organisations that calculate their environmental footprint often discover new opportunities to improve the sustainability of their drinking water provision. Small changes in the workplace can deliver lasting benefits for both environmental performance and everyday user experience.
4 tips to reduce the environmental footprint of water in the workplace
Ready to move from calculating your environmental footprint to actively reducing it? These four practical tips will help you immediately lower the environmental impact of your office water consumption.
- Tip 1: Eliminate single-use plastics and bottled water.
Replace disposable plastic bottles with a plumbed-in office water cooler that chills, filters and disinfects tap water on site. - Tip 2: Introduce stylish, reusable bottles.
Provide every employee with a personalised, high-quality reusable water bottle or place reusable glass carafes in meeting rooms. - Tip 3: Stop cooling bottled water in refrigerators.
Cool water only when it's needed using an energy-efficient water cooler, instead of running refrigerators around the clock to keep bottled water cold. - Tip 4: Monitor your water consumption digitally.
Use smart management platforms such as MyAQUALEX to track your water consumption and CO₂ savings in real time, making ESG reporting easier and more accurate.
Want to learn more about the financial return on investment of making the switch? Explore our in-depth articles on calculating a company's carbon footprint: the impact of packaging waste and transport and renting a water cooler vs. buying bottled water: the ROI for businesses.
Conclusion: From measurement to meaningful action
When organisations calculate their environmental footprint, they quickly discover that traditional bottled water has an unnecessarily high environmental and financial cost. Including workplace drinking water in the analysis often reveals significant opportunities for improvement.
With an advanced AQUALEX plumbed-in drinking water system, you can dramatically reduce that impact. You'll cut thousands of kilograms of CO₂ emissions and plastic waste, reduce transport movements and simplify logistics for your facilities team. At the same time, employees and visitors enjoy premium-quality, freshly filtered water every day.
Would you like to calculate your company's environmental footprint and discover how much impact you could make? Request a no-obligation quote or use the AQUALEX Impact Calculator to receive an instant overview of the environmental and financial benefits for your organisation.
