SUSTAINABLE WATER AND ENERGY USAGE


As water stress


intensifies, confectionery manufacturers are turning to smarter


processes, recycling and supply-chain action to cut both water use and energy demand.


The equation W


ater security has moved sharply up the industrial agenda in 2026. In England, reservoir storage stood


at just 58% nationally at the start of September, 19.2% below the average for the time of year, with 10 areas still in drought status and 11 reservoirs less than half full. Temporary use bans remain in place across large parts of the country. The summer has also been provisionally recorded as the UK’s hottest on record, at 16.5°C, with the Met Office calculating that a summer this warm has been made around 130 times more likely by human- induced climate change.


FAO data published in January 2026, while renewable freshwater availability per person has fallen by 7% over the past decade. The ingredients entering a confectionery plant are therefore exposed to the same water pressures that are increasingly affecting industrial operations. The connection with energy is just as


For food manufacturers, this matters both inside and outside the factory. Agriculture accounted for around 72% of global freshwater withdrawals in the latest


important. Water needs to be pumped, heated, cooled, cleaned, treated and moved, meaning that reducing water consumption can also reduce energy demand. The World Economic Forum highlighted this water-energy relationship in March, arguing that water-efficient technologies can reduce the energy and


42 • KENNEDY’S CONFECTION • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2026


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