Water stewardship in Spain
Water scarcity in arid, semi-arid, and dry regions poses a significant challenge for agriculture and manufacturing. Our Respect for Water project tackled this issue in public areas around our facilities in Spain through a corporate volunteering activity guided by environmental experts.
Our Hero Spain production site is located in the water-stressed region of Murcia, southern Spain, where we also source various agricultural products. Hero Spain has partnered with the Spanish NGO Asociacion de Naturalistas del Sureste (ANSE) and the Alcantarilla city council to reduce our water footprint by the re-naturalization of the Rio Segura near our manufacturing site.
Through multi-day work assignments involving numerous colleagues, we have removed one hectare of invasive wild sugar cane and planted 275 native shrubs and 35 hackberry trees. The initiative enhances water infiltration, improves the water retention capacity of soils, and creates a healthier microclimate. The initiative helps in retaining groundwater and supports the overall health of the ecosystem.
Additionally, the project provides shade, reducing thermal stress and making the area more comfortable for the community while also supporting local biodiversity and pollinators. Overall, the initiative will return 2.8 million liters of water to the environment through the recovery of native biodiversity.