Implementation of the water footprint as a water performance indicator in industrial manufacturing units located in Greece: challenges and prospects.

Global water resources are under great pressure, so sustainable water and wastewater management is essential for every industrial unit. The water footprint (WF) is a multidimensional indicator of volumetric water use and pollution and is applied throughout the production cycle from the supply chain to the end user. The state-of-the art method of calculating the direct (operational) WF requires detailed records of water consumption and wastewater production per process, that are usually not available. In order to effectively implement the indicator, modifications to the standard calculation method are usually necessary, to meet the requirements and characteristics of each production unit. The present study focuses in three production units in Greece (i.e., cement, brewery, and natural cosmetics) and analyzes the modifications and assumptions required for the operational WF assessment, calculated for each production process where possible and for the whole unit. The WF assessment performed for the three case studies showed that both water consumption rates and operational WFs are within the lowest values (4.7 hL water/hL beer for brewery case study and 0.155 L/kg cement for cement case study) of the ranges reported in the international literature (4-8.8 hL water/hL beer and 0.14-0.413 L/kg cement). The total operational WF of the brewery after applying mass balances was calculated at 23.8 hL water/hL beer with virtual grey WF contributing at 79.7% and blue WF at 20.3%. For the cement manufacturing unit, using estimations from the plant operators and data from international literature, the total operational WF of the plant was assessed at 0.159 L/kg cement with blue WF contributing at 95.8%, green WF at 1%, and virtual grey WF at 3.2%. For the natural cosmetics unit, after modifying the system boundaries properly, the total operational WF was assessed at 81.6 L/kg bulk with virtual grey WF contributing at 88.8%. Through WF assessment, strategic actions could be identified to reduce water consumption and a benchmark could be provided to assess water performance between companies of the same branch.

Using the water footprint concept for water use efficiency labelling of consumer products: the Greek experience.

Freshwater is crucial for food supply, as irrigation water and as production or incorporated water in industrial production of consumer goods (e.g. food, cosmetics). Manufacturing industries follow different protocols and receive different certifications for water management and efficiency in their plants, which are also labelled on the packaging. Nowadays, consumers appear to be increasingly concerned about environmental challenges, therefore many sustainability labels have been developed (carbon, water, ecological footprint) to facilitate consumers to make more sustainable choices concerning their purchases. Consumers' behaviour towards carbon footprint labels has been thoroughly examined in international literature; however, WF labelling studies are very limited. The key to water efficiency labelling in consumer products could be the water footprint (WF), as it measures the total volume of freshwater used to produce a product, over the full supply chain, including virtual water, "hidden" in the products, services and processes. The implementation of WF labelling of consumer products in Greece was investigated, using a questionnaire with demographical data and statements on water sustainability. The results indicate that younger consumers are not quite aware of environmental challenges related to water. According to the findings, WF could be an effective marketing driver towards water sustainability since consumers prefer a quantified label concerning water consumption, regardless of their educational level, and they are willing to pay an extra price for water sustainable products even if they have an unstable job. Manufacturers could then promote their sustainable profile and performance effectively by adopting a WF relevant labelling.