The 1.5l container, which will be available in the UK from this month onwards, has been lightweighted by 11 per cent compared to its predecessors, said the company in a statement to FoodProductionDaily.com – with its weight falling from 32 grams to 28.6 grams.
Evian said that it also hopes to double the current volume of rPET in the bottle from 25 to 50 per cent over the course of the next 12 months.
The bottle has also been designed for easier compacting which, claims the firm, “takes less space in the bin and therefore encourages people to recycle”.
Evian said it sources its rPET from APPE (Artenius PET Packaging Europe), located in Beaune, France.
“Our relationship with Evian allows us to develop important recycling techniques and processes. Evian’s requirements are so high that they pull the company upwards, constantly pushing the boundaries of product quality. It really is a continuous improvement process", said Frederic Blanchard, APPE manager at the French site.
The latest move is part of Evian’s wider green strategy. In July 2009, Evian Volvic said it had also signed an agreement to source recycled PET material from a newly opened plant owned by France Plastique Recyclage (FPR).
The bottled water company, owned by Danone, has signed a contract with the FPR for 35 per cent of its new factory’s 40,000 t/a rPET capacity. The Limay facility, near Paris, was inaugurated on June 23 and a FPR statement confirmed Evian was its first client.
The move is part of Evian’s plans to increase the amount of rPET in its bottles from the current level of around 25 per cent to 50 per cent by the end of next year. PET bottles collected from around the French capital will be treated and converted into high quality rPET granules.