Suntory Mizuiku - Education Programme for Nature and Water
This year, SBF GB&I is proud to launch Suntory's official Mizuiku programme for the first time in the UK in partnership with Severn Rivers Trust. The programme aims to teach families the importance of water as a precious resource and is part of our broader commitment to manage our natural resources sustainably, including the conservation, restoration and reduction of water.
The events
Launching at the end of May and running until October during the school holidays and on the weekends, families can book onto a series of free sessions at five different riverside locations: Lydney, Diglis, Warwick, Shrewsbury and Newtown - all located along the River Severn.
The Mizuiku programme will highlight why the lifecycle of water is so important and encourage participants to reflect and act to preserve and protect our water, rivers and wildlife. The sessions will take place outdoors to connect families to their natural surroundings with a range of interactive, hands-on activities helping them appreciate the importance of natural water sources.
Click here to book onto the events
Learning resources
Severn Rivers Trust has also created a number of education packs to introduce families to the world of water and rivers. All are jam packed with engaging activities and dotted with fun facts.
Click here for the education & learning packs
To create your own pledge about what action you will take in your life to consever water, download our pledge card here.
Mizuiku background
Mizuiku was launched by Suntory Holdings in 2004 so that younger generations would have the opportunity to learn where their water comes from and understand the significance of the forests that nurture this natural resource. Started in Japan, the programme has expanded to Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, France, China, Spain and now the UK, with tailored initiatives for each country. To date, 458,700 people across the world have taken part.
We hope the start of the official Mizuiku programme in the UK will help pave the way for future projects that educate even more people on the importance of water in years to come.
Commitments to water sustainability
To fulfil our promise to manage natural resources sustainably, we are constantly innovating to minimise our environmental impact through the whole product lifecycle, including sustainable water management practices.
In 2020, we installed a £13 million high-speed filling line at our factory in Gloucestershire, which requires up to 40% less water to bottle each one of our drinks. In addition, 60 per cent of all water is sourced from on-site boreholes and a new water recovery unit has been installed that stops wastage by recovering, treating and reusing any excess water. Reducing not only water usage, but also sewerage, is critical to protecting the health of local water courses, many of which have been damaged in recent months by floods and sewage discharges.