Evian will use 100% recycled plastic bottles by 2025

Danone, Evian’s parent company, has announced that the famous mineral water from the Alps will only come in 100 percent recycled bottles in a few years, championing packaging circularity as a way of reducing plastic waste.

To this end, Evian will collaborate with Loop Industries, a Quebec-based sustainable packaging start-up specialising in plastic re-usability, to redesign its entire packaging model.

At the moment, Evian uses 25 percent recycled plastic in its bottles. A prevailing obstacle in long-term plastic recyclability is the Recycling Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) process, which limits plastic recycling to 3 times before it affects the quality.

However, Loop Industries has developed a revolutionary technology which not only is able to decouple plastics production from fossil fuels, but allows the plastic material to be recycled indefinitely.

Evian has also partnered with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation to shift from the current linear production model to a circular one where resources are valued and re-used.

Patricia Oliva, Evian Global Brand Director, said: “We want to adopt a circular model where 100 percent of our plastic bottles will become bottles again. This will enable plastic to evolve from potential waste to become a valuable resource”.

Through its partnership with Veolia, Evian will ensure the collection of discarded plastic bottles. However, it has announced that it will also aim to identify new recycling solutions to ensure bottles are recycled properly. The plan also includes consumer engagement to scale up recycling rates.

Mrs. Oliva added: “Rooted in its pioneering spirit and long-lasting commitment towards sustainability, Evian will drive a step change to address the critical issue of plastic”.

“We want to use the power of our global brand to take a leadership position, drive collaboration across the industry and, together with partners, transform our approach to plastic”.

Last September, Evian inaugurated its first carbon neutral bottling plant in Evian-les-Bains as part of the company’s target to be 100 percent carbon neutral by 2020.

Véronique Penchienati, President of Evian, had commented: “This is only the first step, but it is a very important one. It creates pride among our employees, partners, and customers, and it motivates us to go even further to reach our 2020 objective”.