(Credit: Pixabay)
Volvic, a Danone brand, has announced that it is now carbon neutral and is becoming a B Corp, the biggest natural mineral water brand in Europe to be certified as such. As part of its long-term sustainability efforts, Volvic is announcing today several sustainability commitments:
- Being B Corp Certified: Volvic is the biggest natural spring water brand with a B Corp Certification in Europe. Certified B Corporations are businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose.
- Being certified Carbon Neutral from April 2020 by the Carbon Trust: For Volvic this means lifecycle carbon footprints of its products have been transparently calculated and certified and a carbon reduction plan is in place to ensure Volvic’s emissions will be reduced. Any remaining emissions have been offset through investment in initiatives that protect and/or restore natural ecosystems. To qualify as an offset against Volvic’s emissions, these initiatives reduce or absorb an equivalent amount of carbon. To reduce their own carbon footprint, Volvic has been continuously increasing the proportion of recycled materials in the bottles (in 2020 on average up to 30%), switching to 100% renewable energy at the plain water bottling site in 2020, and promoting the use of low impact transport. Today 40% of their bottles travel by train in Europe, with a carbon footprint 10 times lower than trucks in France. In parallel, Volvic is helping reduce global carbon emissions by investing in natural ecosystems protection projects with our partner and project developer South Pole. This way, Volvic contributes to protecting forests, watersheds, biodiversity, and local communities in more than two billion square meters, in volcanic countries such as Peru, Congo and Uganda. These projects help to absorb carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and offset Volvic’s remaining carbon emissions to achieve carbon neutrality.
- Rethinking Packaging: Volvic has committed to using 100% recycled plastic for bottles as much as possible, and hopes to produce all Volvic bottles using 100% recycled PET by the end of 2025, knowing it saves up to 50% of carbon emissions versus a virgin plastic bottle.
Last year, packaging manufacturer Loop Industries, Inc., announced it signed a multi-year packaging supply agreement with Danone SA, allowing the food and beverage giant to purchase 100% sustainable and upcycled Loop-branded PET from Loop’s joint venture facility with Indorama Ventures Limited in the US.