The “Green” Side of Evian

From the dancing baby on Ally McBeal to the adult-talking tots on those great E-Trade commercials, consumers seem to be fascinated with babies who do very “un-baby-like” things. Evian Natural Mineral Water® seems to be continuing the trend. Evian’s latest campaign, “Live Young,” tells us to drink more bottled water in order to live a more youthful life. And whether you like the roller skating babies or not, it is one of the more innovative campaigns coming from the bottled water industry—an industry that has not only been hit by the economy, but by the ever-growing number of more eco-conscious consumers who are forgoing plastic bottles in lieu of something that is a bit more earth-friendly.

We tend to think of all bottled water as “bad” from an environmental standpoint, but is it? With Evian’s latest campaign front and center with consumers, marketers and brand strategists, we thought we would look at the “green” side of Evian to see just what the company is doing to help our planet.

Evian® has created three new environmental initiatives that pertain to wetland and water management, corporate recycling programs and encouraging consumers to recycle.

Wetland and Water Management
In addition to its commitment to protect the environment around the actual source of its mineral water (located on the Gavot plateau high up in the French Alps), Evian established the Water Protection Institute which strives to help local people protect and restore the wetlands resources, reduce poverty and improve community living conditions and bolster communication, education and public awareness. The first three projects are in Argentina, Thailand and Nepal. Evian also backs the Ramsar Convention and funds restoration projects and communication initiatives that raise awareness of the stakes that these wetlands represent.

Corporate Recycling
A pioneer in the use of recyclable PET, Evian was the first company to switch from PVC to PET bottles. It was also the first to offer lightweight, compactable bottles, which significantly reduced the space needed in recycle bins. In 2008, Evian introduced recycled plastic into its most popular bottle size and has reduced its PET weight by 20% in 10 years. The Evian bottling plant is certified ISO 14001 and continues to monitor and improve its environmental performance. This ongoing approach has led to considerable progress in several areas, including improved recycling, reduced CO2 emissions and better water conservation. On site, little goes to waste with an estimated 98% of the garbage is recycled, condensed by nearly 25% for added efficiency and systematically dispatched to specialized recycling centers.

Consumer Recycling Programs
One of the many ways Evian is trying to boost consumer participation is by supporting RecycleBank in the USA. This program enables people to earn points when they recycle, points which can be redeemed at participating Reward Partners across the country. In France, Evian also contributes a portion of its revenues to the Eco-Emballages” program that finances up to 50% of the municipal recycling nationwide.

What do you think of Evian’s environmental programs and how could bottled water companies better communicate their efforts to consumers? Email Patti Minglin with your ideas—we will share some of them during a future Good And Green E-ssentials story.