‘Zero Drop’ by Coca-Cola in Greece and GWP-Med saves 10 million liters of water per year for the island of Folegandros
This summer, in collaboration with the Municipality of Folegandros, the water resources protection program, ‘Zero Drop’, is being used, which participates in the international organization Global Water Partnership – Mediterranean (GWP-Med) in collaboration with Coca-Cola in Greece and with exclusive support of the Coca-Cola Foundation (The Coca-Cola Foundation), with the aim of promoting the correct use and saving of water.
The ‘Zero Drop’ was presented during an on-site visit by the Secretary General of Natural Environment and Waters, Mr. Petros Varelidis, in the presence of the Mayor of the island, Mr. Euthalia Papadopoulos, the Cycladic MP Mr. Filippos Fortomas, and Ms. Maria Tzelepi, Director of Corporate Affairs, Communication and Sustainable Development, Coca-Cola Hellas, and Professor Mr. Michalis Skoullos, President, Global Water Partnership – Mediterranean.
The ultimate goal of the ‘Zero Drop’ program is for Folegandros to become the first island in Greece with zero waste of water, as thanks to this initiative, the saving of more than 10 million liters of water per year is achieved and the water business of the island is significantly strengthened, through techniques and the utilization of innovative technologies, as well as through educational and informative activities for the 800 residents, the thousands of citizens and the café and hospitality businesses.
The first phase of the program included seawater drilling works to improve the operation of the existing desalination plants and the second phase concerns the interconnection and pipeline works currently underway, boosting Folegandros’ water work by 63% and contributing significantly to filling the gap between demand and supply of water on the island, especially in the summer months, which led to interruptions in water supply until the summer of 2021.
At the same time, educational activities were carried out for 55 students and over 100 teachers in the Cyclades, while specialized tools were analyzed for professionals in the tourism sector regarding the correct use of water, with the total beneficiaries reaching 1,200 people. Finally, a donation was made to the Municipality of Folegandros with 6 hydropanels, an innovative product that uses exclusively renewable energy sources to produce drinking water for the residents and citizens of the island. The hydropanels, imported to Greece by the program’s technology provider, Idator, are water vapor condensers to convert atmospheric moisture into potable water, with the exclusive use of renewable solar energy.
The General Secretary of Natural Environment and Water, Petros Varelidis, said: “The sustainable development of any region is directly linked to its work on water resources. Water is one of the most important and valuable goods for citizens, businesses and visitors everywhere. It is very important to integrate programs like ‘Zero Drop’ with the cooperation of the private and public sectors, which definitively solve the issue of water scarcity in the islands and value for the society itself and its people”.
The Mayor of Folegandros, Ethalia Papadopoulou, said about the program: “‘Zero Drop’ came to cover an urgent need for Folegandros, as, without water, we cannot have tourism on our island. The program helps us to put water supply breaks behind us once and for all, but also to raise awareness among our visitors about the need to respect and protect water. We believe that Folegandros can be a positive model for many more Greek islands that face similar difficulties.”
Maria Tzelepi, Director of Corporate Affairs, Communication & Sustainable Development of The Coca-Cola Company for Greece, Cyprus and Malta said: “We are particularly proud of the ‘Zero Drop’ program, as it puts the focus on water, one of the most precious commodities . , and combines innovation, efficiency and important for the local community and Greek tourism. For us, water is a key pillar in our strategy for sustainable development. At Coca-Cola, we believe that every drop of water is precious, which is why for 16 years, in collaboration with GWP-Med, we have helped more than 280,000 residents of areas with severe water scarcity, saving more than 2 billion liters of water”.
Professor Mr. Michalis Skoullos, President, Global Water Partnership – Mediterranean said in this regard: “Water, in addition to being necessary for the basic requirements of man and nature, is also the often invisible basis of the economy. In Folegandros, as in many Greek islands, the lack of water is a brake on tourism development, while the water demand from tourism in the summer months comes into competition with the needs of other sectors in the sensitive ecosystems. Through the ‘Zero Drop’, we provide Folegandros with enough water to cover the severe shortfall between supply and demand, while at the same time promoting a sustainable tourism model for island and coastal Mediterranean destinations that has as an integral element the integrated management of water resources.”
As part of its actions to protect the environment and making water a priority, Coca-Cola in Greece has for 16 years programs for the responsible use and strengthening of water production, having supported together with the international organization GWP-Med and The Coca-Cola Foundation more than 100 water protection and industry projects in 35 Greek islands and cities, which have benefited more than 280,000 citizens by securing 2 billion liters of water annually. In addition, since 2015, the company locally and globally returns every drop of water it uses to produce its products, with this percentage exceeding 155%.