Our carbon reduction journey
At Volvic we are committed to reducing our impact on the planet. For this, reduction of green house gas emissions is key. The process of measuring & reducing our emissions at all stages of our value chain is at the heart of this journey.
Measuring & reducing our emissions:
As a key step in our sustainability journey, Volvic has transparently calculated its carbon footprint of its products through every stage of their lifecycle.
We’ve put in place a carbon reduction plan to further cut down emissions. Some of the steps we have taken include increasing our use of recycled plastic (committing to use 100% recycled plastic in our bottles by 2025*); moving to lower carbon transport alternatives and distance efficiency; and reducing our carbon emissions by switching to 100% renewable energy at our plain water bottling site.
(* rPET used in only the bottle (not caps and labels)
Volvic reduce its carbon footprint on the planet
We have calculated our carbon emissions based on the life cycle assessment from the raw materials we use until the end-of-life of our products. Thanks to this exercise we have identified these 4 main areas to act:
1. Evolving our packaging
We started by using less. Through light weighting projects, we have reduced the weight of our bottles. For example, our iconic 1.5L bottle today uses 30% less plastic than 20 years ago. Second, we know that using bottles made from 100% recycled plastic* allows us to save up to 50% of CO2 emissions versus using a virgin plastic bottle (excluding cap and labels). That is why we are committed to making all our bottles with 100% recycled plastic across Europe by 2025.
*PET used in only the bottle (not caps and labels)
2. More efficient transport
We have been working with our supply chain to investigate lower carbon transport alternatives and distance efficiency. In the UK, 78% of Volvic now travels from the bottling site to the UK by train, which has a carbon footprint 7 times lower than that of trucks*.
*Calculation based on ADEME and actual Danone routes
3. Energy use
First, we have been working to use less. Since 2007 we have reduced our energy consumption in our bottling site by more than 20%. In 2008, we were awarded the ISO 14001 certification which is an international standard on environmental management systems. Secondly, we have switched to using 100% renewable energy in our natural mineral water bottling site from 2020.
4. Energy reduction
Since 2007, we have reduced our energy consumption at the bottling plant by 23% for each liter of water produced. Plus, all employees at the Volvic bottling plant have been trained to optimise energy consumption on a daily basis.
Since January 2020, the Volvic natural mineral water bottling site has been powered by renewable energy. There are two type:
- Hydroelectric power: electricity produced from generators connected to turbines powered by the movement of water.
- Biogas: a type of fuel naturally produced by the decomposition of organic waste.