Water consumption is one of Piaggio’s main areas of focus and it has taken concrete action to implement its Policy of trying to reduce the consumption of energy and natural resources. Piaggio has consistently worked on this, analysing the water consumption of the Pontedera plant, which in a decade has more than halved its m³ consumption of well water. This reduction was made possible by plant upgrades (e.g. inverters on well pumps) and in more recent times by replacing less efficient systems with latest generation technologies (e.g. new 2R painting and new cataphoresis).

The Baramati and Vinh Phuc plants reuse part of the water withdrawn as part of the effort to reduce consumption.    

The Pontedera, Baramati and Vinh Phuc plants are located in areas with high water stress (Source: Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas).

Water withdrawals

Water withdrawals

Despite the increase in activity volumes, water withdrawals are broadly in line with the previous year. 

Piaggio will continue though with targeted activities and controls to further reduce water use, in the belief that minimising this resource is essential.

Water discharges1

Water discharges

As regards waste water, environmental respect is ensured with processes to treat and purify waste water.

With reference to discharges, a summary of their destination by production site is provided below:

  • Pontedera: the plant's drains are divided into two separate networks:
  • one that collects "industrial" waste, originating from the painting plants, the wastewater preparation plant and the temporary waste storage areas, which could lead to the discharge of potentially polluted rainwater runoff;
  • the other collects "non-industrial" waste (from the toilets, canteens and unpolluted rainwater).

The two networks are completely separate and both deliver to a purification hub outside the plant, where the wastewater, after initial chemical/physical treatment is then sent for biological treatment, after which is discharged into an open riverbed. A small part of the discharges, originating from the toilets of two areas of the plant, flows directly into the public sewage network which is directly connected to the biological system of the integrated water supply. From the tables above, it is assumed that all the water collected is discharged into the sewers, a part in the industrial network (about 100,000 m3) and the rest into the non-industrial network; it is obvious that both industrial and non-industrial discharges are strongly affected by the annual rainfall;

  • Noale: all buildings are connected to the public sewer system; the waste water is of a non-industrial origin only (from toilets and the site canteen);
  • Scorzè: the plant is not served by the public sewer system, so waste water is biologically purified at the site and then conveyed to the local Rio Desolino canal;
  • Mandello del Lario: the plant discharges a part of waste water directly into the public sewer system (non-industrial waste water, canteen waste water, etc.), while waters used in the cooling plants are discharged into the Torrente Valletta stream;
  • Baramati: waste water is treated and reused for internal purposes and irrigation;
  • Vinh Phuc: the site has a chemical/physical purification plant for waste from painting pre-treatment operations before it is conveyed to the public sewer systems, where all other site waste (non-industrial waste) is sent. The final destination is in the public sewer system. A part of this water is re-used. In 2021 the recovery of waste water amounted to 15,850 m³, equal to 14.31% of the water withdrawn;
  • Commercial companies: water use, which is only for toilet facilities and comes from the mains, coincides with waste water. The water use of these sites cannot always be recorded, as the sites are sometimes located at property which is not owned, where communal services are shared with other occupants.

 Water consumption

Water consumption

For all Italian plants, consumption is estimated to be zero as the water withdrawn is returned to the environment after use.

1The water discharges of the Vietnamese plant are estimated to be 80% of water withdrawals

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