The efficient use of water is essential to future commerce and quality of life. Due to its cost, there is also a direct bottom-line benefit to reducing water use.

UPS consumes more than 1.6 billion gallons of water each year in its facilities, maintenance operations and vehicle washing operations. We are committed to researching and implementing conservation initiatives.

2007 Goals: Pending

Tracking water consumption has proven to be more complicated than initially anticipated. In the U.S., we have more than 1,900 water accounts with more than 1,000 unique suppliers using 16 different units of measurement.

Water consumption increased in 2006. This is due, in part, to including additional facilities from UPS Supply Chain and Freight.

Ongoing Initiatives:

• Vehicle Washing Policy: In 1995, we changed our policy for washing delivery vehicles, saving 365 million gallons of water annually. Instead of washing them every day, we wash them as needed to maintain their appearance.
• Water reclamation systems: 49 UPS facilities have wash tunnels equipped with active systems to reclaim water for reuse.
• Vehicle Wash Agent (VWA): UPS uses an environmentally friendly enzyme wash agent that has the following benefits:
  • Neutral pH, 100 percent biodegradable and nonhazardous with by-products of carbon dioxide and water;
  • Cleans oil, grease and algae from drains, floor and walls of wash tunnels;
  • Improves the quality of wastewater discharge;
  • Saves approximately US$1 million per year in materials and water.

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