Reynolds facility is one of 250 major water users worldwide to achieve AWS certification
Winston-Salem, N.C. (October 17, 2022) – Reynolds American Inc., the BAT Group’s U.S. subsidiary, and its companies (Reynolds) announce that the Reynolds Operations Center (ROC) in Tobaccoville, N.C. has achieved Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) certification, further progressing the organization’s Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) goals.
The AWS Standard is a globally applicable framework for sustainable water management to better understand water use and impacts, and for working collaboratively and transparently for sustainable watershed management. Earning this certification indicates the ROC facility has successfully implemented AWS’ best practices in terms of five critical outcomes: good water governance, sustainable water balance, good water quality status, protection of important water-related areas, and safe water, sanitation, and hygiene for all.
The certification demonstrates Reynolds has met all core criteria in the global benchmark for responsible water stewardship, making this facility one of only 250 organizations worldwide to earn the respected designation.
“Collectively, the actions any of us can take to be better stewards of natural resources, like water, will benefit the communities where we work and live as well as the local economy,” said Bernd Meyer, Executive Vice President of Operations at Reynolds. “Using water efficiently is the responsible thing to do. It’s good for the environment, good for society as a whole, and good for our business. We are on track to meet our 2025 water stewardship goals across all of our U.S. manufacturing facilities.”
The global BAT Group’s environmental targets include an enhanced focus on water stewardship. In 2021, the BAT Group announced the ambitious goal of achieving AWS certification across 100% of its manufacturing sites by 2025. Reynolds’ Tobaccoville facility is among 17 global BAT Group facilities that are currently AWS certified, with several more BAT Group sites aiming to receive certification within the next year.
SGS, a leading testing, inspection, and certification company, performed the site’s rigorous assessment and on-site audit. A site’s certificate is valid for three years, subject to successful annual surveillance audits.
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About Reynolds American Inc. Reynolds American Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the BAT Group and the U.S. parent company of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company, Inc., American Snuff Company, LLC, R.J. Reynolds Vapor Company, and Modoral Brands Inc. To learn more about Reynolds American Inc. and its operating companies, please visit www.reynoldsamerican.com.
Media Contact: mediaoffice@rjrt.com
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