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A Frenchman buys fruit in Nice.
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The decision affects the sale of 30 types of fruits and vegetables
About 30 types of fruits and vegetables will be available in France without plastic and plastic packaging from January 1 next year, CNN reported. This is clear from a published ordinance of the responsible ministries of economy, agriculture and the environmental transition under the law against food waste. Consumers will find cucumbers, potatoes, carrots, peppers, leeks, zucchini, eggplant and cauliflower on the vegetable shelf without plastic wrap. The fruits of the new measure affect apples, pears, tangerines, oranges, bananas, grapefruit, kiwis, melons, pineapples, mangoes and others. For the moment
an exception is provided for
fruits and vegetables that are
offer in packages of over 1.5 kg
With the ban, the French government intends to significantly reduce plastic waste. It is estimated that 37% of vegetables and fruits in France are currently sold packaged. In the country, 45.5% of plastic production goes to packaging, according to statistics. The new rules are expected to save more than a billion surplus plastic packaging a year.
Fines for producers and traders for non-compliance with the order are quite hefty and can reach up to 15,000 euros.
Until six months after the ban comes into force, it will still be possible to sell the remaining stocks of fruit and vegetables in plastic packaging. The measure is expected to be gradually extended to more and more products. From 2026 onwards, the rule is expected to affect the entire range of fruits and vegetables.
Plastic shopping bags have been banned in France since 2016, and later disposable plastic items – plates, cups, utensils, straws, etc. – were eliminated. With the new measure, the French government wants
to promote sales
of agricultural products
in bulk,
and by 2030 20% of the stands of the shops with an area of more than 400 sq. m. should be allocated for them.
However, the packaging of more fragile and perishable products such as strawberries, raspberries, cherries, blueberries, apricots will not be removed until 2026. They will also have to continue to serve to protect bioproducts from contamination in the event of contact with traditional methods. Manufacturers and retailers are already looking for substitutes for the incriminated plastic, but paper or wooden packaging is significantly more expensive and this will lead to an increase in the price of products in supermarkets. Similar legislation is expected to be adopted in Belgium very soon.
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