Danone Canada invests in its Boucherville plant to develop PET yogurt cups
Danone Canada announced a strategic investment of $9 million in its Boucherville plant to launch production of new individual yogurt cups made from PET. The company is also aiming to integrate rPET, with an ambition of 30% of the content. This initiative, supported by Danone’s Oikos brand – the country’s leading high-protein Greek yogurt – marks a major step forward in the agri-food industry and in Danone’s commitment to recyclability for its packaging.
This major project is being carried out with the support of the Gouvernement du Québec, notably through Investissement Québec, which is providing a $3 million loan, and RECYC-QUÉBEC, which is contributing a direct grant of $400,000. This initiative is in line with Québec’s efforts to reduce plastic pollution and promote innovative, more sustainable packaging strategies.
This project illustrates Danone Canada’s capacity for innovation within the Québec industry, and the importance of supporting concrete initiatives for a more durable future.
The new Oikos PET cups are already being deployed at points of sale across the country.
Frédéric Guichard, President of Danone Canada, explains that the new yogurt cups from Oikos, the number one brand in Canada, represent a significant milestone in the company’s ambition to reduce the environmental footprint of its packaging and to inspire other companies to adopt more sustainable solutions.
Emmanuelle Géhin, President and CEO of RECYC-QUÉBEC, emphasises that as the organization works to accelerate the transition to a circular economy, participating in this project was a natural fit: “This effort also reinforces our dedication to supporting innovations that address problematic materials, like plastic packaging. Ecodesign is a pivotal strategy in the circular economy and is also a very important path forward that we absolutely must collectively invest in to reduce our footprint.”
Photo: From left to right: Émanuelle Géhin, CEO, RECYC-QUÉBEC;Frédéric Guichard, President, Danone Canada; Suzanne Roy, MNA for Verchères, Minister for the Family and Minister responsible for Montérégie; Hubert Bolduc, President, Investissement Québec International. (source: Danone)