Evian strives for 100 percent recyclable plastic bottles by 2025

19 Jan 2018 --- Evian is strengthening its sustainability credentials with a pledge to make all its water bottles from 100 percent recyclable plastic. The France-based mineral water brand, owned by multinational corporation Danone, has set a target of 2025 to achieve the target which is part of an initiative to become a circular brand.

The move comes as big brands and retailers around the world signal their intention to steer away from plastic waste and boost sustainability credentials.

“Evian will drive a step-change to address the critical issue of plastic,” the company’s global brand director Patricia Oliva said. “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. We're committed to moving the mindset of today's generation from 'we can' to 'we do'.”

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation, Veolia and Loop Industries are some of the companies the bottle producers will work with to realize the circular ambition.

Just earlier this week, retailer Iceland became the first major supermarket to commit to eliminating plastic packaging for all of its own brand products, within five years, to help end the burden of plastic pollution.

The company has said it will replace plastic with packaging including paper and pulp trays which would be completely recyclable, through support for initiatives, such as a bottle deposit return scheme for plastic bottles and in-store recycling.

And high-end UK grocer Waitrose has also announced that it will stop selling packs of disposable straws from this September, building on the retailer’s track-record for being the first supermarket to stop selling items containing microbeads from September 2016 and switching exclusively to paper-stem cotton buds. Plastic straws will also be replaced by non-plastic alternatives.

The supermarket is also reducing its reliance on black plastic trays with the ultimate aim of no longer using them. Waste processors find it difficult to detect the black plastic which means that they are difficult to recycle.

From the end of 2018 all Waitrose own-label meat, fish and fruit and vegetables will no longer be in black trays. The supermarket has already removed 65 percent of black plastic packaging from fresh fruit and vegetables.