The SEAL Award for Environmental Initiatives recognizes Reynolds’ efforts to move the needle on environmental progress and impact global sustainability.
Winston-Salem, N.C. (May 7, 2024) – Reynolds American Inc. (Reynolds), the BAT Group’s U.S. subsidiary, is pleased to announce that SEAL Awards has named Reynolds as a recipient of the 2024 SEAL Business Sustainability Awards in the Environmental Initiative Award category for the Reynolds WaterHubSM project under construction by a Reynolds subsidiary at the expansive Reynolds Operations Center in Tobaccoville, N.C. The SEAL Business Sustainability Awards honor leadership, innovation, and commitment to sustainable business practices.
The Environmental Initiative Award evaluated applicants on impact metrics, innovation and uniqueness of the initiative, sharing of insights and best practices, and investment of organizational leadership capital. Reynolds’ award-winning initiative, the WaterHub, is an advanced water recycling facility and product of a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, and one of few water recycling projects of its scale. Once construction is complete, the WaterHub is expected to reclaim more than 60 million gallons of water per year, equivalent to the annual water supply of approximately 550 average U.S. households.
“We are proud of all the efforts being made across the Reynolds American organization to preserve and make efficient use of the precious natural resources we rely on to run our business,” said Bernd Meyer, Executive Vice President, Operations, within the Reynolds American organization. “This SEAL recognition is a testament to our sustainability progress and the expected positive impact of the WaterHub, our advanced water recycling facility at our largest manufacturing facility, in collaboration with NextEra Energy Resources.”
Reynolds and its operating companies are playing a part in the BAT Group’s progress against its goal of 35% less water withdrawn across global operations. At the Reynolds Operations Center, Reynolds expects to reduce water withdrawn by over 40%, which in turn would reduce the water withdrawn across the BAT Group’s global operations by 6%.
“Absolute, material impact is a critical factor in the SEAL Business Sustainability Award evaluation process. The Reynolds American organization demonstrated strong water stewardship through its innovative WaterHub project, which is expected to reclaim over 60 million gallons of water annually, leading to their 2024 award selection,” commented Matt Harney, Founder of SEAL Awards.
This SEAL recognition complements Reynolds’ efforts to manage water sustainably across the manufacturing facilities of its operating companies. 100% of operations sites within the Reynolds organization, including the Reynolds Operations Center in Tobaccoville, have earned Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) Certification.
For more information on Reynolds’ water stewardship efforts and commitment to sustainability, visit ReynoldsAmerican.com. To learn more about NextEra Energy Resources’ WaterHub installation, visit nexteradistributedwater.com.
About Reynolds American Inc. Reynolds American Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of the global 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
Forward-looking statements
This release contains certain forward-looking statements, including “forward-looking” statements made within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are often, but not always, made through the use of words or phrases such as “believe,” “anticipate,” “could,” “may,” “would,” “should,” “intend,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “will,” “expect,” “estimate,” “project,” “positioned,” “strategy,” “outlook”, “target” and similar expressions. These include statements regarding our ESG targets.
All such forward-looking statements involve estimates and assumptions that are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors. It is believed that the expectations reflected in this release are reasonable but they may be affected by a wide range of variables that could cause actual results to differ materially from those currently anticipated. A review of the reasons why actual results and developments may differ materially from the expectations disclosed or implied within forward-looking statements can be found by referring to the information contained under the headings “Cautionary Statement” and “Group Principal Risks ” in the 2023 Annual Report and Form 20-F of British American Tobacco p.l.c. (BAT).
Additional information concerning these and other factors can be found in BAT’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including the Annual Report on Form 20-F and Current Reports on Form 6-K, which may be obtained free of charge at the SEC’s website, http://www.sec.gov and BAT’s Annual Reports, which may be obtained free of charge from the BAT website www.bat.com.
The forward-looking statements reflect knowledge and information available at the date of preparation of this release and BAT undertakes no obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements.
