They had been there for decades, piled up next to an abandoned factory.
PVC plastic waste was discovered near the former premises of the Volvic company (Puy-de-Dôme), the Volvic water company announced on Thursday, claiming that this deposit predates the takeover of the brand by the Danone group in 1993. This waste made up of plastic "PVC, glass and wood, covers an area of about 1 hectare, or about 2% of the regional nature reserve" located on the impluvium, the area where Volvic takes its famous mineral water , indicates in a press release the Volvic Water Company (SEV).
The discovery was made in March 2022 by the League for the Protection of Birds (LPO) responsible for the management of this nature reserve, which is home to an important hibernation site for bats.
"We carry out regular monitoring of the site and as part of this mission, we spotted large white blocks, resembling compressed plastic, under the vegetation", explains Gaëlle Giraud, curator of the reserve for the LPO.
Waste removal scheduled for 2024
Alerted as the owner of the site, the SEV carried out studies on the area concerned, in conjunction with the LPO and the authorities, "in order to assess the nature and quantity of waste", which may be linked to industrial tests. , without being able to define “a precise tonnage”, indicated a spokesperson for the group.
The SEV ensures that this waste predates the acquisition of the Volvic brand by Danone in 1993, PVC having been used between the 1960s and 1990s to manufacture the bottles.
However, their storage would be "without impact" on the quality of the natural mineral water, as well as on the surrounding waterways, says the company, which has committed to carrying out more in-depth studies from 2023 and plans to waste removal and site rehabilitation from 2024.
The cost estimate will depend on the diagnosis to come, underlined the spokesperson of the group.
"It is not acceptable to find this type of waste on a natural site and we will be attentive to the implementation of the removal and rehabilitation plan" declared Gaëlle Giraud.
"This shows once again that the beginnings of the packaging of water in plastic bottles were made in deplorable conditions for the environment", reacted Francois-Dominique de Larouzière, member of the association for the protection of the environment. Preva water resource.