Spadel launches its “Source of Change” 2025 packaging commitments

‘Become fully circular and contribute to the health of the environment and people’ expresses the vision of Spadel’s new sustainable packaging strategy 2025, launched 25 June 2019.

Spadel is fully aware of the impact of packaging on the environment and wants to play a leading role in shaping a positive future. With 10 commitments centered around 4 key drivers, “Source of Change” aims to accelerate Spadel’s transition towards a circular economy. Transparency and partnerships are fundamentally underlying this strategy. As such Spadel has signed the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s “New Plastics Economy Global Commitment”.

Recognized by many as a pioneer of sustainable development in Europe, Spadel has long championed ambitious climate actions. A business model based on the preservation of quality natural mineral water, Spadel brands have always expressed a strong local commitment. Favoring low food miles with low ecological impact, protecting biodiversity and investing in local partnerships.

However, new sustainability challenges appear with regards to a more circular economy. Spadel shares the concern of the environmental impact of its packaging. As such action has been taken to develop the “Source of Change” packaging commitments 2025, clustered around 4 key drivers: Reinvent, Reduce, Recycle and Restore.

Marc du Bois, CEO of Spadel: Our consumers are increasingly concerned about the impact of their consumption on the environment and we share this concern. The goal to eliminate waste and to reuse materials is gaining momentum everywhere.
Spadel wants to address this changing context in a meaningful and ambitious way and therefore has expressed its packaging commitments 2025, as a “Source of Change”. After all, nature and sustainability lie at the heart of who we are, as expressed in our sustainability mission statement: Natural hydration, Healthy tomorrow

Reinvent: Innovating in design and reusable formats

Spadel will be applying the Cradle to Cradle EcoDesign principles linking circularity with material health, backed up by external verification. Already one brand will be C2C certified for 2020.

We will double our reusable formats by 2025 to reduce the need for single-use packaging. Already Devin offers today a 19 liter reusable bottle.

Spadel innovates in new business models. We recently joined the ”ToasterLAB”, a business acceleration program, which will recruit start-ups, amongst others, working on sustainable packaging and health drinks.

We will also launch our internal lab “The Waterhouse Lab” to accelerate ideas that will change the way we bring water to consumers, including alternatives to plastic.

Reduce: Continuing to reduce our plastic and carbon footprint

Spadel will reduce its single use plastic footprint by 15% weight up to 2025. In 2018 the total volume of plastic packaging used amounted to 25.047 tonnes.

All bottles will be carbon neutral by 2020, independently verified by CO2logic.

As 1 of only 10 food and beverages companies in Europe, Spadel has approved carbon reduction targets, according to the Science Based Targets Initiative (international targets based on keeping global warming below 1,5 degrees). These targets will also be a strong driver for ongoing plastic footprint reduction initiatives. Spadel offers full transparency of the Environmental Footprint of its entire product range in 2018, using the Product Environmental Framework (PEF) promoted by the European Commission. The total environmental footprint of Spadel products will be reduced by 60% in 2030.

Recycle: Using 100% recycled material

All our packaging will contain 100% reused or recycled material and will be 100% recyclable by 2025. For our plastic bottles we aim to use 30% rPET by 2022 and 100% by 2025 – subject to sufficient availability and quality, subject on which we commit to work on.

Already since 2017 the shrink material of Wattwiller is made of 100% recycled plastic. Bru’s crates of returnable glass bottles are made out of 100% recycled material since 2018.

Spadel strives towards 100% collection of its packaging brought on the market by 2025. In 2019 various pilot projects with Spadel clients started in Belgium and the Netherlands, testing incentive schemes to improve collection and recycling rates. In April 2019 Carola was a co-founding member of “Alsace consigne” with Zéro Déchet Strasbourg , launched to rethink, enhance and develop the use of glass with a DRS system.

Restore: Fighting litter

By 2022 all our brands will use a zero littering message in all communication channels. Already in 2019 Bru launches a zero litter message “Together – Recycle”. For the last three years, Brecon Carreg has partnered with Recycle for Wales for a Run Refuel Recycle campaign, reaching over 1 million people already.

We develop strategic partnerships with organisations in each of our markets in order to prevent and combat litter on sea and on land by 2022. In 2018 Spadel signed a 3-year partnership with The SeaCleaners, the organisation working to clean up plastic soup in the oceans led by Yvan Bourgnon. In Belgium Spadel signs a partnership with GoodPlanet, to develop and initiate programmes around zero liter and recycling in schools and organisations.

Transparency and Partnerships underlying “Source of Change”

We are a signatory of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s “New Plastics Economy Global Commitment”. As such we will annually report on our progress.

It is in this same spirit of collaboration that we invite all stakeholders, including members of press, to share ideas that can contribute to achieving these goals. Discover and visit regularly our ‘Source of change’ news platform www.sourceofchange.spadel.com.