France to ban plastic packaging for fruit and vegetables from January
France will ban
plastic packaging for nearly all fruit and vegetables from January 2022 in a
bid to reduce plastic waste, the environment ministry said on Monday.
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.
"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 boost its substitution by other materials or reusable and recyclable
packaging," the ministry said in a statement.
It estimated that 37% of fruit and vegetables are sold with
packaging and expects that the measure will prevent more than one billion
useless plastic packaging items per year.
French fruit sellers federation president Francois Roch said
switching to cardboard will be difficult in such a short 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 program
to phase out plastic. From 2021, France banned 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 end June 2026.
Plastic packaging will be banned by end June 2023 for cherry
tomatoes, green beans and peaches, and by end 2024 for endives, asparagus,
mushrooms, some salads and herbs as well as cherries.
End June 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.
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