Towa International reduces water consumption by 35,000 m³ since 2019 and sets a 40% water‑efficiency target for 2030
As part of World Water Day
- The company integrates sustainability across all aspects of its growth model, making responsible water management one of the core priorities within its ESG strategy under the 2024–2026 Strategic Plan.
- Towa International’s production plant in Barcelona is implementing initiatives to enhance water efficiency and promote water reuse, combining industrial innovation, investment in infrastructure and advanced control systems.
Barcelona, 18 March 2026. – Towa International, the international hub of Towa Pharmaceutical and the only Japanese generic medicine company with a direct presence in Europe and the United States, has reduced its water consumption by 35,000 m³ since 2019, representing a 30% decrease in total consumption, and aims to achieve a 40% reduction by 2030. The company integrates sustainability as one of the pillars of its growth model. In this context, water has become a key priority within its ESG strategy, incorporated across the board in its 2024–2026 Strategic Plan, which combines industrial efficiency, environmental commitment and measurable sustainability targets.
From commitment to action: efficient and responsible water management
In the pharmaceutical industry, water is an essential resource in production processes and in ensuring the quality of medicines. It is used at various stages of the manufacturing process, such as the preparation of solutions and suspensions, the coating of pellets and other solid dosage forms, the production of liquid formulations, as well as for cleaning equipment and in the cooling and heating systems of reactors. Therefore, its efficient management is critical from both an environmental and a health perspective.
During the last financial year (2024), Towa International succeeded in reducing its annual water consumption by 10,000 m³ thanks to the implementation of various operational initiatives. Among the main measures adopted, Towa International has optimised the organisation of its production processes to reduce water consumption during cleaning tasks, installed a system to recover water from reverse osmosis reject streams, upgraded infrastructure to prevent leaks, and incorporated advanced measurement and control systems that enable more efficient water management.
Furthermore, the plant in Martorelles, Barcelona, ensures a minimal environmental impact: 100% of its effluent complies with regulatory limits, and it plays an active role in the joint wastewater treatment system for the industrial estate, where approximately 70% of the treated water comes from its operations.
Sergi Palomino, Sustainability Director at Towa International, says: “Efficient water management is one of the cornerstones of our sustainability strategy and forms part of our commitment to integrating resource efficiency into all our industrial processes. We are also continuing to make progress on decarbonisation; in 2024 we achieved a 60% reduction in our own emissions (Scopes 1 and 2), which reinforces our vision of responsible and sustainable growth”.
For its part, Meritxell Ferraté, Chief People, Sustainability and Transformation Officer at Towa International, emphasises: “Sustainability is not a project: it is the way we make decisions. We believe that every decision we make today leaves a real footprint on the future of people and the planet. When we look after essential resources such as water, we are not only protecting the environment; we are also strengthening the healthcare system and the resilience of our business. Integrating sustainability into our strategy is what enables us to grow in a coherent way: measuring impact beyond EBITDA, understanding the real value we generate for society and for our teams, and building the future we want.”
