An all-Australian partnership to tap the naturally high water content in sugarcane for bottled beverages will yield economic and environmental benefits for industry and communities in NSW.
As a major sugar producer, Australia’s east coast canefields stretch from northern NSW to Queensland’s far north.
Already regarded as a renewable source of food, fibre and fuel, the sugarcane plant is lesser known as a water source – each stalk comprises about 70 per cent water.
This water, harvested from the crops of NSW growers, will be bottled in a partnership between Sunshine Sugar and the award-winning AquaBotanical, a globally patented innovation to help farmers minimise waste by sourcing water entirely from plants.
Further enhancing the certified sustainable sugar milling process – in which leftover plant matter provides fuel to power Sunshine Sugar’s operations – new technology will be installed to capture potable water from condensed vapour.
The end result is a clear and clean-tasting water free of toxins and additives, bottled in fully recyclable, quality glass.
Sunshine Sugar Chief Executive Officer Chris Connors said compelling drivers for the project included AquaBotanical’s proven record in producing drinking water from fresh produce, coupled with growing concern over thesustainable use of groundwater reserves.
“The bottled water market in Australia is growing,” said Mr Connors.
“In Australia, bottled water already generates more than $700 million annually – driven largely by consumer preference for convenience and health-consciousness.”
“This partnership between the all-Australian Sunshine Sugar and AquaBotanical will deliver not just financial returns, but also environmental and social benefits for the NSW sugar industry and communities in the Northern Rivers region.”Sustainable Sugarcane A Source Of Bottled Water
Back to news