Wine, laundry detergent… a start-up from Eure designs a “modern-day wineskin” to transport liquids

The problem does not usually come to mind when tasting a glass, but the drink that ends up in our stomach has been transported to get there. And transport means carbon footprint. For alcoholic beverages, the barrel producer Thielmann estimates that they "represent 0.6% of the global warming potential (GWP) impact category of all products, with packaging contributing a remarkable 40% to the carbon footprint of a beverage's life cycle ". It is to reduce this impact that the start-up Flexikeg has launched into the manufacture, in Saint-Marcel (Eure), after three years of research, of "modern-day wineskins", as Christelle Doux Vigneau, marketing and communications director, calls them.

With a capacity of 5, 15 or 30 liters, these universal barrels were imagined in 2018 by Jean-Christophe Doux, a polytechnic engineer and co-creator of Flexikeg. Initially intended for professionals, brewers and winemakers, they can be filled with beer, wine, "carbonated, viscous liquids such as laundry detergent or oils, sweet syrups and even loaded recipes such as compotes, yogurts or other fresh cheeses", lists the inventor, who wanted to "summarize the advantages of other products on the market and adjust it with our own values".

Flexikeg's wineskins are therefore lighter than metal barrels, but also more easily reusable and completely dismantled. The food pouch is produced by Polyloop in Eure, and takes up much less space when empty, reducing transport problems, while a "plug & drink" connector ensures airtightness. Christelle Doux-Vigneau also specifies that "the whole thing can withstand a fall from two floors, with the same canvas as that of the roof of the Stade de France". She also highlights "the cleanliness of the service and, for example, for wine, a taste quality equivalent to the bottle or even better compared to the BIB , with a better margin for the glass or carafe".

For beer and wine, the company will offer a complete service to winegrowers and tobacconists, which will include "rental, delivery and return as well as repackaging," adds Christelle Doux Vigneau. "We have even created packaging machines and displays for in-room service. We also provide support for change, in order to increase productivity and reduce the carbon footprint for our customers."

But Flexikeg will not stop there, and studies are already underway or planned to fill the bags with many other products, from fruit juices or compotes to various oils, including lemonade or tomato coulis, for pizza chefs. "The range is wide," enthuses Christelle Doux-Vigneau. "At the moment, with the support of the Normandy region and Europe, we are working on yogurt and compote in the collective and school catering sector. This will make it possible to divide plastic waste by five and better control doses, thus making savings."

Finally, the start-up also plans to target individuals directly, with "a drinks kit with a tap or a pistol for the home, during ceremonies or during a picnic", concludes the marketing director.