Consumer behaviour will be the real test of Evian’s recycling plans

It’s easy to get dispirited when it comes to plastic waste. Just look at the recent pictures from the Glastonbury clear-up. Despite this year’s ban on selling plastic bottles in the grounds, many were brought in from outside. All of which made for some not-too-picturesque images of plastic bottles strewn across the fields. It’s fair to say bottled water companies aren’t exactly up there in terms of positive PR right now.

So Evian had its work cut out turning around perceptions this week, as the brand began yet another year of Wimbledon sponsorship. This year, it ramped up its sustainability efforts with the trial of its first bottle made from 100% recycled plastic (rPET). Tournament-goers were encouraged to recycle these bottles again – hence the large ‘I recycle’ logo on the bottle (above) – to create a ‘circular’ model.

This was all a testbed for Evian’s larger ambitions to become a ‘fully circular’ business. By 2025, it plans to launch these 100% rPET bottles on a global scale. And it wants consumers to recycle all these bottles, in a bid to both eliminate waste and unnecessary new plastic. James Pearson, managing director of Danone UK and Ireland, says it’s all about seeing plastic as a “resource that has a value” rather than simply a source of litter.

On the technology side, Evian is looking well on the way to achieving its 2025 aim. It has worked with external partners such as Loop Industries to improve the recyclability of plastic, ensuring the quality doesn’t degrade throughout the process. That means you can essentially recycle the bottles an infinite number of times. At the moment, Pearson admits there is a “slight discolouration” in the 100% rPET bottles – although it’s barely noticeable – but eventually the bottles will “look as good as new”. The technology is undeniably impressive.

Still, there’s one thing that is outside Evian’s control in all this: consumer buy-in. If Evian is to realise its ambition of being a truly ‘circular’ business, it will require consumers to recycle at a much higher rate than they do now. After all, the World Wildlife Fund estimates that the UK currently recycles a little under a third of its waste. That is hardly enough to fulfil a circular vision, or enough to produce a 100% rPET bottle on a massive scale. The fact that a large part of Evian’s sales come from on-the-go purchases – which typically command a lower recycling rate – makes the challenge even harder.

For its part, Evian is doing plenty to push the recycling agenda. Getting Wimbledon stars to hold the ‘I recycle’ Evian bottles was a shrewd move, based on the insight that role models can incite behavioural change. It’s planning larger-scale activity in the run-up to 2025.

The Wimbledon trial also made it easy to recycle. Conveniently located recycling bins meant doing the right thing was no harder than doing the wrong thing – a lesson that could be valuable for boosting recycling rates on a wider scale.

And crucially, Evian is working with the Scottish government on its deposit return scheme, which is likely to roll out across the UK in some form in future. That could be the real driver of change. Given how well financial incentives have worked in the UK – see the massive reduction in plastic bag waste – it is likely to mark a significant uptick in recycling levels. After all, Zero Waste Scotland predicts the scheme could see return rates in the order of 85% to 95%.

But it’s not a silver bullet. Such schemes have had varying results in the countries where they operate, including Denmark, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden. So it will be interesting to see just how much consumer behaviour changes between now and 2025. For that will be the real determinant of Evian’s success.