Cucumbers, apples, melons and 27 other fruits and vegetables will be banned from being sold wrapped in plastic in France. Calling it “a real revolution”, President Emmanuel Macron commented that France’s ban on plastic in favor of eco-friendly food packaging shows the country’s dedication to eliminate single use plastics by 2040. The bill was passed on New Year’s Day banning plastic food packaging on fruits and vegetables, with exemptions for berries, pre-cut fruits and vegetables and legumes. Giving businesses time to adapt, the law will be applied gradually until June 2022 with the full legislation to taking effect in 2026. .
“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.” ~ Environment Ministry
Countries and various municipalities around the globe are putting restrictions on single-use plastic. It’s estimated that 78 million tons of plastic packaging is produced annually with 32% of it polluting our oceans. And, that number is only predicted to increase by 2030 unless drastic actions are taken. In France, one-third of all fruits and vegetables sold are said to be wrapped plastic. Some projections show that France’s new law will save 1 billion pieces of single-use plastic from being produced.
France’s Other Food Waste Law
In 2016, France passed similar legislation to fight waste within the food industry. Except at the time, the focus was on food not plastics. The law adopted forbade supermarkets from destroying or throwing away unsold food products. Instead, supermarkets and other shops were required to donate the unsold food items to food banks and charities. Failing to do so could come at a hefty fine up to $85,000.
While the food waste law could also be seen as a way to provide food to the homeless, the legislation was passed in an effort to help eliminate the 10 million tons of food waste that emit 15.3 million tons of CO2 yearly in France. Furthering that mission, Paris started a pilot program to distribute waste sorting kits to 120,000 residents to help them to eliminate food waste by putting it into a biowaste recycling bin.
By engaging both companies and consumers in the solution to fight food waste, France has been able to reduce greenhouse gases emitted from food decomposing in landfills. Globally, organic matter decomposing in landfills accounts for 7% of the total methane emissions and plastics account for 15%. When compared to other countries in the E.U, France emits less CO2 annually per citizen and has maintained a downward trend in greenhouse gas emissions. Coupled with the country’s latest legislation to reduce plastics in the food industry, France’s groundbreaking actions offer examples to other governments on how societies can work together to reduce these harmful emissions.
How You Can Help To Reduce Plastic Pollution
Legislation is only one part of how societies can build sustainable solutions to help reduce pollution, preserve our resources and mitigate the effects of climate change. We as consumers play a role as well. Our actions can help push for stronger environmental legislation, hold brands accountable for their environmental and social impact and reduce pollution when we make simple changes to our lifestyle. In terms of what we eat and how we shop for it, even the smallest actions can help to eliminate plastic and food waste. Here are a few tips that you can follow on your next grocery store run or visit to your local market.
Use reusable produce bags: When stocking up on fruits and vegetables at your local grocer, don’t reach for the plastic bags to toss your carrots or greens into. Instead, invest in reusable produce bags that you can bring to the store with you to put your veggies into.
Americans use 100 billion plastic bags a year, which require 12 million barrels of oil to manufacture
Bring a reusable tote: Those plastic bags that you pack all of your groceries in at checkout can take up to 1,000 years to decompose. Instead of using these single-use plastic bags, invest in a cotton tote bag that will look good on your arm, travels well, hold all of your veggies and can be used 1000+ times before it is thrown away.
Support local farmer’s markets: Support local produce that doesn’t travel far to get to your home. Did you know that the U.S receives produce from 125 different countries? From the energy used in refrigeration to the gas for transportation, those CO2 emissions add up. Another sustainable reason to support local farmer’s markets is that most of the produce isn’t wrapped in plastic.
Compost: Help to reduce food waste by turning your kitchen scraps into biodegradable compost that you can use in your garden. Turn your scraps into fertilizer for your plants with an at-home compost bin. Or, store fresh vegetable and fruit cuttings in your freezer and take to an organization in your area that will compost the scraps for you.
Learn more about reducing plastic and food waste at home:
Low-Waste Grocery Shopping Tips For The Holidays And Beyond
We’re Learning To Recycle Better With A Zero-Waste Expert
Cookbooks To Help You Have A Sustainable, Zero Waste Kitchen
