PETpla.net Insider 11 / 2010

REGIONAL MARKET REPORTS 11 PET planet insider Vol. 11 No. 11/10 www.petpla.net We met: Sophie Dournier-Delamare (Evian Public Relations Department at Evian-Les-Bains on Lake Geneva) Evian waters, which are collected in an agricultural (60%) and wetland (10%) area of 35 km 2 and at an altitude of 850m, then travel through layers of sedimentation to an altitude of 400m and Evian Les-Bains on Lake Geneva. The journey through the rock takes 20 years, during which period it experiences filtration and enrichment with minerals - the origin of Evian as pure and healthy mineral water. To ensure sustainability (as well as to safeguard water qual- ity and the environment) the waters pumped are limited to what the catchment area can provide. In recent years the Evian volumes have declined due to the economic crisis and the government’s campaign in favour of tap water. One could almost see the economic situation as a blessing in disguise for the water reserves. Sophie Dournier-Delamare (Evian Public Relations Department at Evian Les-Bains on Lake Geneva) and her assistants receive and host 20,000 visitors annually. The plant tours definitely add flavour to an already exist- ing good image of Evian waters. Highly motivated ladies convey the Evian philosophy, the Evian commitment and mission, to the public in an almost missionary approach. PETplanet had the privilege of a VIP tour with the very knowledgeable Sophie Dournier, whose academic back- ground is packaging engineering. She is head of the PR team, loves her job, loves Evian, and is responsible for what we know about Evian. And as we tour, talk and listen, we inevitably touch on the emotional basis of this multibil- lion litre and multimillion Euro business of Evian. It is this blend of intellectual conviction and emotional involvement which motivates people and makes them work best. But there is business too. Evian’s business was water, is water and will always be high-end high quality water - pure water with mineral ingredients for health. People want water. They also need 1.5l per day, we learned. So busi- ness should almost be guaranteed. But today business for the water producers is not secure since the government started to promote tap water. Thus Evian reacted and started campaigning - far beyond the basic aim of securing business alone. The people of Evian call it the “great plan”, i.e. the commitment to sustainability, which is a commitment in the political, environmental, social and economical arena. As the waters from the Evian springs are the same at all times and should be so, the action plan has to do very much with packaging and thereafter with logistics. 95% of Evian waters are filled in PET bottles. PET, in the official eye of the French government, seems to be regarded as an environmental burden (see also report about our Alma Roxane visit). Evian reacted gently with their action plan on four major fronts: Protection of the catchment area with sensitive inclusion  of the people living there. Packaging, with analysis of the status quo, a reduc-  tion of use of PET material (light weighting), water and