Nestle Turns Milk Into Water as California Drought Rages
Cans of Carnation evaporated milk move along the production line at Nestle SA's factory in Modesto, California.
Photographer: Judy House/Nestle via BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Nestle SA, facing protests in drought-stricken California for bottling water, is spending millions to turn wastewater from milk into a liquid it can use to clean up its factories -- and burnish its corporate image.
The U.S.’s largest water bottler is installing new filtration systems at a plant in Modesto, 90 miles east of San Francisco, so it can reuse waste left over from making Carnation condensed milk rather than pour it down the drain. The treated liquid will be used for cleaning and cooling instead of local freshwater, according to Jose Lopez, head of Nestle’s operations.