The Limited Times

Now you can see non-English news...

End of plastic packaging for fruits and vegetables: total ban is set for 2026 at the latest

2021-10-11T17:15:36.394Z


As of January 1, 2022, it will no longer be possible to sell certain fresh products surrounded by plastic. Almost a billion th


Peeled bananas presented in a polystyrene tray wrapped in plastic.

On Twitter, this photograph taken in a supermarket has aroused the sarcasm of consumers for a few days.

Outraged to see so much packaging for a single fruit.

The decree that the Ministries of Ecology, Economy and Agriculture have just signed should precisely put an end to these bad habits taken by large-scale retailers.

As of January 1, 2022, around thirty fresh unprocessed fruits and vegetables will be sold without plastic.

Apples, pears, oranges, clementines, kiwis, tangerines, lemons, grapefruits, plums, melons, pineapples, mangoes, passion fruits, persimmons ... When you go to the early fruit section of your supermarket, there should be no trays left. no visible plastic film.

Exemptions for "the most fragile" products

Ditto for your leeks, zucchini, eggplant, peppers, cucumbers, potatoes, carrots, round tomatoes, onions, turnips, cabbage, cauliflower, squash, parsnips, radishes, Jerusalem artichokes and other root vegetables. "While 37% of fruits and vegetables are now sold in packaging, this measure will remove more than a billion unnecessary plastic packaging each year," calculated the Ministry of Ecology.

As is often the case when new rules are put in place, supermarkets will however benefit from exemptions for “the most fragile” products.

This explains why the measure will not apply to all products sold on stalls by January 1.

"For fruits and vegetables presenting a significant risk of deterioration during their sale in bulk", the decree thus provides for a gradual application of the ban.

The goal of zero plastic packaging is set no later than 2026.

"Pushing back to 2023 and then to 2026 is far too long"

If France Nature Environment believes that "these measures are going in the right direction and are a real step forward", the association deplores the too large number of "exceptions" affecting certain products. “Postponing until 2023 and then until 2026 the ban on plastic packaging for certain fruits and vegetables which are already sold in bulk, is far too long, regrets Margarita Verboud, coordinator of the prevention and waste management network within FNE. Lobbies have mobilized to delay the entry into force of this obligation. "

The Ministry of Ecology was visibly convinced by the industry that it was more complicated for certain products to do without plastic overnight. He cites in particular the example of certain ripe fruits. "Peaches and apricots, sprouted seeds, red fruits or even early vegetables, those harvested in spring, before their full maturity, will benefit from deadlines from June 30, 2023 to June 30, 2026", detail the three ministries signatory to this decree taken in the framework of the law on the fight against waste.

"If you see today a lot of organic fruits and vegetables in plastic film and not in bulk, it is because they should not be in contact on the shelves with conventional fruits and vegetables," explains an advisor from Barbara Pompili. . The brands will therefore have to reorganize their stores. “In the office of the Minister of Ecology, it is also recalled that this decree follows a series of measures intended to eliminate plastic objects or packaging from our shelves.

"We have already removed the straws, cups and plastic cutlery, cotton swabs and expanded polystyrene kebab boxes," explains the ministerial adviser.

And by 2030, supermarkets have the obligation to offer bulk products on 20% of their sales areas, against only 1 to 3% today.

»So many cosmetics, dairy products, yogurts, fruits and vegetables that no longer need to be packaged.

Source: leparis

All life articles on 2021-10-11

You may like

Trends 24h

Latest

© Communities 2019 - Privacy

The information on this site is from external sources that are not under our control.
The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.