Evian's New Bottle Is Completely Circular, Sort Of

Evian, a part of Danone, has just announced a new bottle made from 100% recycled plastic, save for the pink cap. The bottle is recyclable and label-free. 

While plastic labels are technically recyclable, many Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) cannot process them, so they end up being burned for fuel or discarded as garbage. The 400ml bottles also lack a barcode, and distribution is limited to restaurants, hotels, and other hospitality sites, first in France, with plans to expand to other countries.

Fingers crossed, some of those bottles will find their way inside a recycling bin.

The new Evian bottles use an engraving technique that it says took two years to develop. The iconic French Alpine peaks sit on the bottle’s shoulder and the water brand’s wordmark dominates the body, engraved vertically along the front of the body. The result, apart from being more eco-friendly, is elegantly subtle and evokes the spring water’s purity.

Label-free, fully recyclable bottles are the latest in Evian’s sustainability efforts to meet their goal of producing 100% rPET (recycled polyethylene terephthalate) bottles across their entire water range. Evian’s US distributor, Evian USA, is a certified B-Corporation, and the water bottler is experimenting with refillable options, such as their (re)new appliance, a stylish smart water dispenser, and designing refillable canteens, such as their collaboration with Soma.