Danone Canada Announces Investment In Its Boucherville, Que. Plant To Improve Food Mfg.

In order from left to right: Emmanuelle Géhin, President and CEO, RECYC-QUÉBEC, Frédéric Guichard, President, Danone Canada, Suzanne Roy, Minister of Families and Minister responsible for the Montérégie region, Hubert Bolduc, President, Investissement Québec International. (Credit: Danone Canada)

BOUCHERVILLE — Danone Canada announces a strategic investment of $9 million in its Boucherville plant to launch production of new individual yogurt cups made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resin. The company says it is also aiming to integrate recycled PET (rPET), with an ambition of 30% of cup content. This reportedly represents a first for Danone’s activities in the country, made possible thanks to the support of the Gouvernement du Québec.

This initiative, supported by Danone’s Oikos brand, marks a step forward in the agri-food industry and in Danone’s attempts to be more environmentally friendly.

This major project is being carried out with the support of the Gouvernement du Québec, notably through Investissement Québec, which is providing a $3 million loan, and RECYC-QUÉBEC, which is contributing a direct grant of $400,000. This initiative is in line with Québec’s efforts to reduce plastic pollution and promote more sustainable packaging strategies.

Danone Canada says that the new Oikos PET cups are already being deployed at points of sale across the country.

“At Danone, innovation is the driving force behind our sustainable development approach. These new yogurt cups from Oikos represent an important milestone in our ambition to reduce the environmental footprint of our packaging and inspire other companies to follow suit towards more sustainable solutions,” said Frédéric Guichard, President, Danone Canada.

“The Québec population is increasingly aware of the impact of their food consumption on their health and the environment. Danone Canada understands this! Our government is proud to support Danone in this important stage of its development. Established in our region for nearly one hundred years, this company continues to reinvent itself to contribute ever more to the economic vitality of Montérégie and the dynamism of our community,” said Suzanne Roy, MNA for Verchères, Minister for the Family and Minister responsible for Montérégie.