Sam Zeitz

Millions of plastic bottles are being produced each day and most of them are used once and then thrown away. It’s estimated that by 2021, half a trillion plastic bottles will be consumed each year. Evian, a France-based mineral water brand is a contributor to the problem but they are working to be a part of the solution.

Evian hopes to be only using materials in a closed loop by 2025. This means that Evian bottles will soon be made of 100 per cent recycled plastic. They will be working alongside a Montreal-based start-up called Loop Industries that has found a more efficient way of recycling. What makes this partnership unique is that most bottled water companies only recycle 6 to 7 percent of plastic. Evian bottles are already, on average, made with 25 percent recycled materials.
As reported in U.S business magazines, founder and CEO of Loop Industries, Daniel Solomita explains their process is breaking down plastic as if you were separating all the ingredients of a cake. Once the plastic is broken down, it can be used for a wide variety of things. The materials can be used separately or can even be used to recreate the same bottle it came from. The difference their process makes is that the plastic comes out clear after it’s been recycled. With other methods the plastic becomes cloudy, making the plastic less desirable by bottled water companies. Plastic bottles can go through the process multiple times without degrading in quality. Their process doesn’t only work on plastic bottles but every kind of plastic.

Evian’s plan to use 100 percent recycled plastic is part of their efforts to achieve their sustainability goals. Their bottling plant in France is already carbon neutral and powered by renewable energy. They were also able to decrease their emissions by switching to rail transportation from trucks. Evian tries to offset any emissions that they are producing by working with a partner that plants trees.