The True Revolution of 1968: Mineral Water Trade and the Early Proliferation of Plastic, 1960s–1970s

Nicolas Marty ()
Additional contact information
Nicolas Marty: FRAMESPA - France, Amériques, Espagne, Sociétés, Pouvoirs, Acteurs - UPVD - Université de Perpignan Via Domitia - UT2J - Université Toulouse - Jean Jaurès - UT - Université de Toulouse - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UPVD - Université de Perpignan Via Domitia

Post-Print from HAL

Abstract: This article examines the 1968 decision by the French mineral water company Vittel to use PVC packaging for its main product. This was the first time this type of packaging had been used for a mainstream consumer product. By examining the causes, manifestations, and consequences of this business decision, it aims to show how this model has spread and contributed to the creation of an environmentally damaging waste regime by abandoning deposit systems. The article also seeks to show, through this case, the importance of identifying social and institutional contexts to understand the trajectory of consumer products.

Keywords: bottled water; PVC; Plastic waste; environment; Regulation; food and drink markets; Europe; Packaging (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Published in Business History Review, 2020, 94 (3), pp.483-505. ⟨10.1017/S0007680520000549⟩

There are no downloads for this item, see the EconPapers FAQ for hints about obtaining it.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-03481038

DOI: 10.1017/S0007680520000549

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in Post-Print from HAL
Bibliographic data for series maintained by CCSD ().