Since August, Danone's iconic Actimel bottle has been appearing on store shelves. Gone is the polyethylene terephthalate (PET) label that surrounds the flexible bottle, replaced by a container in which the brand name, vitamins and allergens are embossed directly onto the bottle.
Danone has announced a reduction in plastic use of 107 tonnes per year in France, the equivalent of 270 million bottles. The amount of plastic used in Actimel has already been reduced by 40% since its launch in 1994.
Without its PET label, the small bottle becomes 95% recyclable, as the lid on which the flavor is now indicated is non-recyclable. The cardboard surrounding the bottles and bearing the regulatory information is also recyclable.
Marie Piednoir, Circular Packaging Manager at Danone France, explains in a press release that "this transformation is an asset for promoting the recycling of the bottles of these iconic drinking yogurts, and is fully in line with Danone's circular economy roadmap. This project also echoes all the initiatives underway to meet the objectives of 100% recyclable, compostable or reusable".
According to Danone, Actimel's label-free packaging marks a concrete step forward, in addition to those concerning new bottles of Badoit these include the introduction of a new range of products, such as the new "solidarity" caps on natural mineral water bottles, and the gradual incorporation of rPET (recycled PET made from 100% recycled materials).
