The Estée Lauder Companies is investing €5.7m in water circularity infrastructure at its Oevel manufacturing campus in Belgium, aiming to cut water consumption.

The project is expected to reduce water intensity from 9.3 litres per kilogram of product to 3.6 litres, saving around 25 million litres annually. It will combine improved purified water systems, water reuse in equipment cleaning and sanitisation, and the treatment of wastewater for reuse in selected operations.

The company said the initiative would reduce reliance on incoming freshwater and minimise wastewater discharge. Oevel will act as a pilot site, with the project intended to inform potential deployment across its wider global manufacturing network.

The investment forms part of a broader programme to modernise the campus through automation, artificial intelligence, digital manufacturing and logistics improvements.

Estée Lauder has invested more than €150m in Oevel over the past decade across manufacturing, logistics, biotechnology, automation, infrastructure and sustainability projects.

“Beauty Reimagined is about building a more agile, more resilient and more consumer-centric company for the future,” said The Estée Lauder Companies senior vice president manufacturing & engineering Alexander Gregorian.

“Oevel demonstrates how we are translating that ambition into reality through advanced manufacturing, digital innovation and responsible resource management.

“Just as importantly, the learnings from this project will help inform future manufacturing initiatives across our broader network. The combination of innovation, operational excellence and water stewardship will play an increasingly important role in the future of manufacturing.”

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