Volvic moves to 100% recycled water bottles in France

Major mineral brand Volvic has updated its bottles in France to be made from 100% recycled plastic, a major ecological shift in the industry.

It is the first major update for the brand’s plastic bottles since 1969, and follows a nearly €2 million investment to update its production lines. This includes a €547,000 grant from France’s ecological transition agency Ademe. 

The new bottles will not change their look – they will retain their iconic green bottlecaps and current packaging – but the move is being lauded as an ecologically important step. 

The project has been in the works for around a decade, following the inclusion of recycled material in the bottle’s composition in 2008, and then eight-litre bottles being made from recycled materials in 2016. 

Smaller bottles made from 100% recycled plastic began appearing on shelves in October 2025, with all bottles sold in France now made from entirely recycled materials.

From August 2026, all bottles are made from recycled PET plastic granules, with no newly-created granules used in the process. 

The new bottles also use 15% less material than those from 2018.

Altogether, the company’s carbon footprint will be reduced by up to 60% following the changes, despite making around five million bottles of water per day. 

Danone Group, the owner of Volvic, wants to reduce its emission levels by 35% between 2020 and 2030 across all brands and operations.

Volvic water was recently rated among the top three healthiest in France by consumer association 60 millions de consommateurs, noted for its high mineral content including silica, useful for joint health.

It was also shown to be the least likely to be contaminated with plastic materials in a 2025 study.

Volvic in hot water over ‘misleading commercial practices’

Volvic has had issues surrounding recycling, however. 

In June 2026, the Paris tribunal found Volvic guilty of misleading commercial practices over previous claims that bottles were ‘100% recycled’ as well as ‘100% recyclable’ and ‘carbon neutral’. 

Carbon offsetting projects were found not to fully counteract the emissions created from water bottle creation.

In addition the cap and labels used for packaging bottled water were also found not to originate from recycled materials.  

The adhesive glue for the labels, as well as the ink, were themselves not able to be recycled, only the bottle itself was made from 100% recyclable material.

The case saw Danone Group ordered to pay €75,000 in damages to consumer association CLCV.

Volvic argued that it had followed industry standards for the claims, having obtained a carbon label from the Carbon Trust in 2020, using a ‘recognised methodology’. 

It is set to launch an appeal against the ruling.

Fellow bottled water brand Nestlé came under fire in 2024 for a potential breach of safety standards for several bottled water brands.