‘Outrageous amount’: France BANS plastic packaging for 30 fruits and vegetables
Vegetables and fruits are seen at a greengrocery in a market in Buenos Aires, Argentina
France will ban plastic packaging for nearly all fruit and vegetables from January 2022 in a bid to reduce plastic waste, the environment ministry says.
Implementing a February 2020 law, the government published a list of about 30 fruits and vegetables that will have to be sold without plastic packaging from January 1.
The list includes leeks, aubergines and round tomatoes as well as apples, bananas and oranges.
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"We use an outrageous amount of single-use plastic in our daily lives. The circular economy law aims at cutting back the use of throwaway plastic and boosting its substitution with other materials or reusable and recyclable packaging, " the ministry said in a statement.
It is estimated that 37 per cent of fruit and vegetables are sold with packaging, and it is expected that the measure will prevent the use of more than one billion plastic packaging items per year.
According to Francois Roch, president of the French Fruit Sellers Federation, switching to cardboard will be difficult in such a short period of time.
"Also, selling loose produce is complicated as many customers touch the fruit and people do not want their fruit to be touched by other customers," she said.
The packaging ban is part of a multi-year government programme to phase out plastic.
From 2021, France will ban plastic straws, cups, and cutlery, as well as styrofoam takeaway boxes.
Cut fruits and a limited number of delicate fruits and vegetables can still be sold with plastic packaging for now, but that will be phased out by the end of June 2026.
Plastic packaging will be banned by the end of June 2023 for cherry tomatoes, green beans and peaches and by the end of 2024 for endives, asparagus, mushrooms, some salads and herbs as well as cherries.
By July 2026, raspberries, strawberries and other delicate berries must be sold without plastic.
From 2022, public spaces must provide water fountains to reduce the use of plastic bottles; press and publicity publications must be shipped without plastic wrapping while fast-food restaurants can no longer offer free plastic toys.
From January 2023, France will also ban throwaway crockery in fast-food restaurant for meals consumed on-site.