Packaging
51% of the carbon footprint of our products is the result of packaging processes and materials. We have been working to reduce this figure on numerous fronts and these ongoing efforts include: reducing the amount of plastic we use during manufacture and improving the recyclability of our products after consumption.
Our ongoing efforts to reduce the environmental impact of our plastic bottles include:
- Reducing the weight of our bottles by 20%
- Progressively increasing the proportion of recycled PET used in our bottles (An average of 25% recycled PET is now used in Evian and Volvic and 50% recycled PET is used in Badoit)
- Manufacturing new products incorporating non-oil based raw materials, such as Volvic's plant-based bottle below
- Ensuring our PET bottles are 100% recyclable (bottle, lid and label)
- Sourcing local UK recycled PET to incorporate into our packaging
- Joining industry-wide commitments to invest in new technologies and packaging solutions, such as The Courtauld Commitment , part of the Waste & Resource Action Programme (WRAP)
Evian Feather:
In January 2011 Evian launched a new 1.5L bottle. The bottle has been light weighted by 11% and to further reduce its impact on the environment contains more recycled plastic. The bottle has also been designed for easier compacting, taking less space in the bin and therefore encouraging people to recycle.
Volvic's plant based bottle:
Volvic has taken steps to reduce its impact on the planet with a major innovation in bottle design. Volvic’s new bottle is made from up to 20% plant-based material, replacing some of the fossil-based resources used in conventional PET plastic.
The new bottle is designed to be 100% recyclable just like traditional PET plastic. This new innovation from Volvic is the first time a PET plastic bottle has been made partially from plants.
To find out more about what we are doing as a company in this area please visit the packaging section of the corporate website.