At the Compagnie des Pyrénées, we don't have skis, but we have ideas.
At a time when beverage manufacturers are racking their brains to find alternatives to plastic, the group created in 2016 by Damien Chalret du Rieu and Sébastien Crussol is reinventing water in bricks.
This Thursday, he is launching his Eau neuve (Ô9) in 600 Occitan supermarkets.
All the Monoprix in France will follow this summer.
The brick format, already tried by other water players in the past, had not been a resounding success, the opaque side confusing customers.
"There is now such a rejection of plastic that membership should be there,"
said Damien Chalret du Rieu.
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For bottled water manufacturers, no miracle alternative to plastic
The innovation goes even further.
With the help of five families, a banking pool and the Occitanie region, the founders raised 26 million euros to bottle water from the nearby Pédourès spring in Mérens-les-Vals (Ariège).
With, and this is a first in France, the term “positive impact” mineral water, the use of the source having a beneficial impact on the environment.
The brick format in high demand by companies
In addition to the 33 and 50 cl cardboard bricks developed through a partnership with Tetra Pak, the group is also trying out recycled plastic, cans, gourds, glass… Faced with the giants Danone and Nestlé, the new entrant only partially relies on mass distribution.
It also offers a tailor-made offer for companies, canteens, hospitals or hotels, combined with container recycling services.
However, the brick format is in great demand by companies.
Ultimately, this pillar should account for 70% of its activity, expected to be around 120 million bottles in five years, for 40 million euros in turnover.
