Coca-Cola HBC is developing an area for use as a wetland directly on its site in Kyje.

Prague, 30th of March 2021 - Coca-Cola HBC upholds the goals of sustainable development, including water management, where it complies with the highest European and world standards. When assigning the project in the field of water capture as part of the modernization of the complex in Kyje the company approached it as sustainably as possible and with great emphasis on circular solutions. The question of directing rainwater from a newly built space by the already automated warehouse was addressed at a very early stage.

 "It is true that circular solutions are more demanding for implementation, and the necessary innovation and modernization. Sometimes this also applies at the economic level. In this case it concerned a more economically viable solution, and moreover in urban areas every bit of nature is truly appreciated. With this approach we want to inspire other companies and show that environmentally friendly solutions do not necessarily have to be more expensive.  We are talking about an investment in the region of 2.5 million crowns, while the savings compared to the traditional solution of a concrete retention tank reach almost 50%, "said Jan Turek, Director of ICSC Coca-Cola HBC CZ/SK. The investment will be paid in full by CC HBC from its own resources, without subsidies.

The company has consulted on the possibilities for the designated space with experts. Among others, the organisation Friends of Nature Čmelák z. s. " It Intrigued us to know Coca-Cola HBC considers that part of the complex should not be built on and instead should retain its natural character. We see this as a positive approach. Our organization has many years of experience with the conversion of land to a natural and biologically diverse environment. Therefore, we have offered to cooperate in the conversion of this land which has the potential to become a place of high biodiversity. I believe that together, within two years we can create a great place for both people and wildlife." said Jan Korytář, chairman of the Čmelák organisation.

The methodology is supported by top management, which allowed the original draft project design for drainage of rainwater into the sewage system of Prague without local use to be changed to an ecological alternative capture and removal of rainwater from the Prague Kyje complex to the newly created wetlands on the property of CC HBC. Thanks to the solution of water drainage through gutter channels to a dry polder and subsequently into the wetland, water will be drained back to the natural environment. The total space left purely to its natural potential without any commercial use has an area of 3.14 hectares. A zone of approximately 10,000 m2 of vegetation areas intended for natural development with a dry polder, including a wetland with a project area of 2,000 m2, is reserved for part of the water complex. Aside from being a positive addition to water management the project will also have another effect - it will contribute to natural cooling in the surroundings of the complex in Prague 14 during the hot summer months.

More about dry polders:

A dry polder can be thought of as a dried-up pond with an outlet for drainage. The dry polder works in the form of a funnel, which in the case of torrential rains and excessive rainfall helps retain accumulated rainwater and then gradually discharges it in smaller amounts into the wetland in the north-western part of the premises of CC HBC. The function of the dry polder - even though it does not seem so - is very important and quite a comprehensive solution for releasing the trapped rainwater into the wetland area. In the event of a period of excessive rain there may be times when the soil is fully saturated with water and cannot absorb any more water. Then the dry polder gradually "dispenses” the excess water into the wetland area. This space is basically an overgrown area with untreated vegetation and trees that complement the fertile land suitable for the infiltration of water to underground springs. The area was chosen based on infiltration tests (a procedure performed when drilling to certain depths and then using a tank, water is released into the site and tested, for how long and to what depth the water is absorbed). The location of the wetland was also aided by the historic flow of the river into local streams, which was dammed in the previous century during industrial expansion. In this respect, we can describe the wetland as an area which collects and absorbs trapped water. Since water is an essential source of life, the given wetland is a good candidate for the expansion of vegetation – plants and trees, providing the ideal environment and necessary protection for wildlife. Furthermore, this wetland due to its historical position, can, in the event of excess water direct this naturally into a nearby pond.

The Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company is working on the project with a wide variety of experts across various disciplines, and the project was assessed in cooperation with Prague 14 and the Department of the Environment.