Danone invests €280 million to upgrade the Evian site

Following an investment of €280 million, Danone has completed work on the Evian-les-Bains plant in the French Alps used to bottle Evian mineral water, an international brand sold in more than 140 countries worldwide.

At the forefront of technology, safety and operational efficiency, the new site is powered by 100% renewable energy and aims to be the first in the world to achieve carbon neutral status by 2020.

Danone undertook its commitment to sustainability in 2008 and by 2016 had achieved a 23% reduction in energy consumption per litre. Its goal is now to use 100% recycled materials for packaging. By the end of 2017 it will use on average 25% rPET (recycled plastic), three years ahead of the schedule agreed at COP21, and will reach 50% for some formats by 2020.

In 2016 the Danone Eaux division reported total revenues of €5 billion and launched 13 new sizes, from small disposable bottles with foil caps to 5-litre family-sized bottles, and a special bottle with a handle designed for older consumers.

At the beginning of 2017, Danone and Nestlé Waters (operating in Italy through the Sanpellegrino Group) together signed a partnership agreement with Californian biotech firm Origin Materials to set up NaturALL Bottle Alliance. The goal is to develop a fully-biodegradable plastic bottle of organic origin made with 100% sustainable and renewable resources within the next 3-5 years.