Translations

VOLVIC (DANONE Group) launches a plastic bottle made from organic material

4. Environment

Green design

Sector Food-processing

Year 2011

Country France

Transmitter

Context

Danone Eaux France (Danone), chose the brand Volvic to launch the first bottle made from organic materials. This action is part of the group’s strategy for eco-design products.

Objectives

Reduce / recycle / reuse plastic bottles
Maintain water quality / consumer health
Maintain a competitive position for the brand

APPROACH

Since 1995, Volvic has reduced the amount of plastic used for bottles by 30% thanks to innovations: the 5 Liter bottle in 2000, the 8 Liter eco reserve in 2009.

The company uses 100% recycled plastic with PET (polyethylene terephthalate). The bottles collected are ground into flakes, washed / purified and reused for different granular objects such as clothing, soft toys, pens, etc.

From 2008, thanks to a research program and after inspections from a food safety agency, Volvic introduced RPET (recycled PET) to make their 1.5 Liter bottles. The use of 25% RPET can reduce 11% of their carbon footprint.

In 2010, Volvic introduced plastic bottle composed of organic material, molasses from sugar cane, a renewable resource that limits the use of fossil energy (oil), thus creating bioPET (30% organic).

The new bottle (+ bioPET RPET) is 20% organic and 100% recyclable. It is lighter by 12%, and offers the same guaranteed quality of mineral water to the consumer.