Extraordinary Sustainability: Water Conservation

November 9, 2021

Please note that this is an older article. Any products or services pictured or described may have changed or may no longer be available. Thank you for visiting!

As anybody in California knows, water is a scarce and expensive resource. This has been especially evident with some of the worst drought and fires on record and historical rainfall and flooding. Here at Nugget Markets, we work with a water conservation mindset and host many best practices that safeguard this natural resource.

Here’s what our plan looks like:

• Engage associates to think about using water responsibly. From their first day in orientation, associates are introduced to our sustainability program. Associates know to let a leader know immediately if they see a leak. One drip per second adds up to 150 gallons of water lost per month!
• Set expectations to thaw frozen product in walk-in coolers rather than under running water.
• Use water-saving devices like our blender rinsers and scoop wells in our Coffee & Juice Bars to use less water when cleaning blenders and spoons, or our faucet diffusers when cooling pasta in our kitchens.
• Exchange old machinery for water-saving or water-less types, such as our new hybrid water cooling tower in Roseville and our new partnership with Bloom Energy which uses no water!
• Use water-saving and water-less toilets and urinals.
• Place aerators on all hand-washing sinks to reduce the flow of water from 1.8 gallons per minute to 1.0 or 0.5 gallons per minute.
• Explain what inherent water is, or that every item that’s made is produced using energy and water. This “inherent” water is invisible to the eye but is why reducing our consumption and reusing our resources has such a large impact before we try recycling. All new associates are given a reusable water bottle at orientation which saves the inherent water of the bottle. During the summer months, we pay special attention to inherent water during Plastic Reduction July where we challenge associates to drink from only reusable water bottles!

Here are a few ways you can participate (or may already be participating) in conserving water!

Bath or shower? If an average tub holds 40–60 gallons of water and an average shower head uses 5–10 gallons per minute, then here’s the sustainability tradeoff: take a bath in a partially filled tub or replace your showerhead with a low-flow (2–3 gallons/minute) and reduce the time you’re in the shower.

Dishwasher or hand wash? If an average dishwasher uses 25 gallons of water per cycle and an average faucet uses 3 gallons per minute, then here’s the sustainability tradeoff: run your dishwasher only when completely full or hand wash your dishes by filling up a bowl full of soapy water and wiping down your dishes then rinsing under a smaller stream of water.

Wash your car at the carwash or by hand? The best option is to join the “Drive Dirty” campaign and avoid washing your car altogether. The second best option is to use a carwash that recycles its water through a water treatment system and guarantees using only 10–40 gallons (such as Quick Quack) versus the average 15–85. This is important because even if you think you can save water when washing by hand, are you using buckets or running your hose the whole time? Also, how are you recapturing all the metals and toxins that your car has accumulated and ensuring they aren’t ending up in our waterways? All dirt is not created equal!

Lawn or turf? The best option is to replace it with a drought-resistant, pollinator friendly landscape—no waste and you’re supporting the ecosystem that thrives in California. The second best option requires a sustainability tradeoff: lawns require an excessive amount of water, so to be water-conscious you should water during the cool parts of the day, water only when needed, and deep soak your lawn to ensure that the water gets to the roots and doesn’t evaporate in the wind or heat. You’ll also need to pay special attention to your irrigation system and ensure no leaks! Turf requires no water and lasts about 10–20 years; however, it’s a synthetic product which means it took a significant among of greenhouse gases to produce and will produce more as it sits in the landfill at the end of its life.

Recycling or reusing? Switching from a single-use water bottle to a reusable water bottle not only reduces waste, but captures all the resources it took to produce the bottle. It’s estimated that it takes 3 bottles of water to create 1 bottle of water. Think of it this way: when a plastic water bottle is used once and then tossed, statistics show that it won’t be recycled and it will end up in the landfill or our oceans. If it does end up getting recycled, then more resources need to be used to recycle it properly. So that one water bottle took energy (greenhouse gases), water and oil to be created, and then it took more energy, water and oil to be recycled. If you use a reusable water bottle, then the resources are still used to create the bottle, but there is not a second wave of resources used and no waste!

Purchasing used or new? Using your old hiking boots or current phone rather than getting the latest and greatest products works the same way. The products we use every day take many resources to produce, including a lot of water. When it’s time for a new purchase, consider a used product, which supports the economy of recycling rather than the economy of producing future trash. If you do choose brand new, then consider purchasing from a company that stands behind the quality of their product and may even guarantee it as a lifetime purchase (such as REI). This will save you money over time, because the higher quality hiking boots will last you several years more than the cheaper ones. You can also support companies that showcase how they’re being environmentally conscious on their website. Look for a sustainability page and words like “organic,” “100% [cotton or any one resource],” “recycled content,” “ethical sourcing” and “fair working environment.” By sheer purchasing power, the more people who purchase these better products, the lower the cost will be!

We hope this conversation on water conservation inspires you in your own sustainability efforts at home!

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