Danone marks evian bicentenary with resource protection pledges and site investment
Danone has used the 200th anniversary of its evian® brand to announce a series of commitments spanning water resource stewardship, bottling infrastructure, and product innovation.
Resource protection and open-source stewardship
Central to the announcements is an additional €8 million investment by 2030 directed at preserving four natural mineral water sites in France: evian, Volvic, Badoit, and La Salvetat. This supplements €17 million already committed over the preceding decade. Danone also renewed its partnership with the Ramsar Convention on wetlands conservation.
Of particular interest to water management practitioners is the decision to make SPRING (Sustainable Protection and Resource ManagING) openly available. Developed in 2004, this site-level water stewardship methodology has been deployed across more than 70 Danone plants worldwide. By releasing it as open source, Danone aims to extend its application across the broader industry.
Antoine de Saint-Affrique, Chief Executive Officer of Danone, stated: “Protecting the water resource is at the heart of our responsibility and our future. By strengthening our commitments, we are reinforcing our determination to act ambitiously to preserve an exceptional natural heritage and ensure that it is passed on to future generations.”
Bottling site modernisation
Danone is committing more than €20 million over the next two years to upgrade the evian bottling facility. The investment will focus on infrastructure modernisation to current industrial standards, improvements to energy and water efficiency, and consolidating the site’s credentials as a benchmark for sustainable industrial performance.
Hydration science
Danone is also highlighting findings from a study conducted in collaboration with Liverpool John Moores University, examining the physiological effects of hydration status. The research indicates that adequate hydration contributes to a more regulated physiological response to stress, building on prior work linking hydration to cognitive function and mood. The study received recognition from the American Physiological Society as one of its best publications of the year.
New product and circular packaging
On the commercial side, evian is launching a lightly sparkling variant in France, already available in other markets. The product retains the source water’s natural mineral composition while incorporating fine carbonation. It will be available in glass bottles for table use and fully recyclable cans for on-the-go consumption.
Danone reiterated that all evian volumes marketed in Europe and North America are now packaged in recycled PET (rPET). The company also expressed support for the introduction of a national deposit return scheme (DRS) in France.
Regional economic contribution
To accompany the bicentenary, Danone published its evian Impact Stories report, quantifying the brand’s contribution to the Haute-Savoie region. The study records an economic contribution of €364.8 million in 2024, with the bottling site and Evian Resort together supporting 8,222 jobs in the French economy. Each direct job is reported to generate 3.8 indirect or induced positions.
