Majority of companies are beginning to voice their “green” practices. Even Evian water is making efforts to help preserve the environment. Their primary concern is to protect the French Haute Savoie, the place where their natural spring water comes from. To do this, Evian asked the French government to help protect the surrounding areas to ensure their water is clean and pure.
They began trying to help the planet in 1992, when Evian started the Association for Protection of the Evian Mineral Water Impluvium Area, APIEME, which supports local water initiatives to guarantee long-term quality and purity of Evian water. Along with RAMSAR, Evian started the Water Protection Institute to help preserve water resources and aid in the education on sustainable management of water resources.
Evian’s interactive Web page dedicated to their environmentally friendly practices explains their three “eco-smart” initiatives: eco-smart bottling, eco-smart transportation and eco-design.
Ninety-eight percent of the plastic waste of Evian’s water bottle can be recycled. To help support their recycling efforts, Evian built a 107,000 square foot bottling center, which was awarded the ISO 14001 certification. This certification addresses companies that meet the International Organization of Standards’ (ISO) “environmental management” requirements, which include “minimizing harmful effects on the environment caused by its activities and achieves continual improvement of its environmental performance.”
The eco-smart transportation talks about how Evian uses railroads to deliver their products because it decreases the amount of pollution put in the air. According to an article in Railway Tracks and Structures, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 2.5 million fewer tons of carbon dioxide would be emitted into the air if trains were used instead. Also, the article says that trains are three times more fuel efficient than trucks that are normally used to make deliveries.
The eco-design aspect deals with their bottle design, which are made from polyethylene terephihalate (PET). PET is fully recyclable, and when it is recycled it can be used for a number of things, including clothing and toys. Evian is also the first water bottling company to introduce the compactable bottle.
Evian’s commitment to their water preservation sustainable development strategies received some media attention in April 2008. Reuters.com is an online news source that provides up-to-date information about important issues. The article showcases their strategies and what they plan on doing to help the environment.
Very nice. Good use of links. ***