In February 2020, the government of French President Emmanuel Macron put in place a plan for a more sustainable economy: the anti-waste law, which, among other objectives, targets the abandonment of disposables and plastic packaging in the food industry.
Since then, every January 1st has been accompanied by a restriction on the sector in France. In 2021, the use of plastic bottles was banned in public establishments and events. In 2022, it was the turn of fruit and vegetable packaging, children’s toys and the purchase of any type of disposable plastic by the French State.
This year, the anti-waste law reached restaurants and removed cutlery, cups, plates and disposable packaging for meals on site.
“The end of single-use cutlery and plates is another step in the fight against unnecessary waste,” said Christophe Bechu, France’s environment minister. “It is a concrete measure that will make the French remember the importance of the environment in their daily lives”.
The law concerns tableware used by customers consuming in restaurants. Those who order take-out food continue to receive disposable packaging.
In the country known for its refined gastronomy, the bill for change has weighed precisely at the other end: that of the fast foodswhose operating model based on speed and agility has stumbled under the new legislation.
With more than 30,000 points of sale in France, the sector is one of the largest producers of waste in the country, as stated by specialized NGOs in an article in the Journal du Dimanche, on December 4 of last year. A year, there are more than 6 billion meals served – and 180,000 tons of garbage.
The estimate of the French Agency for the Environment and Energy Management (Ademe) is that, with the adoption of the measure, around 130,000 tons of solid waste will be saved.
Since announcing the law, the government has given establishments a period of two years to adapt to the new legislation. Even before turning the calendar, McDonald’s, for example, exchanged the disposable packaging of fries for red rubber dishes – so popular that even President Emmanuel Macron publicized the new trend on Twitter, when he reposted a photo of a customer of fast-food to promote the initiative.
“The anti-trash law is not just the end of plastic straws. Look around you: in France, changes are taking place to change our consumption patterns and reduce our waste. We are striving to do this globally,” he wrote.
La loi anti-gaspillage, ce n’est pas seulement la fin des pailles en plastique. Observez autour de vous : in France, les changements sont à l’œuvre pour faire évoluer nos modes de consommation et réduire nos déchets. On pousse pour le faire au niveau mondial. Changeons la donne ! https://t.co/sd0YRRv1ko
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) November 20, 2022
logistic problems
As the effects of the law begin to take effect, the first setbacks also appear. One of them, for example, is how customers have been taking washable packaging home, implying the need for frequent replacement.
Other problems include employee training, new equipment for washing, drying and storing dishes and additional costs – which can reach up to 15 thousand euros (about R$ 83 thousand, at current prices) per store, according to an estimate made by the newspaper. Financial Times.
“A change that seems simple is actually quite laborious and expensive,” Stéphane Klein, European general manager of UK-based snack bar chain Pret A Manger, told the British publication. “We needed more than a year of testing different approaches to find out what might work.”
Burger King, to try to circumvent the “souvenirs“, signed a partnership with the company Loop and charges a “deposit” per package. When the utensils are returned to the restaurant, the money is returned to the customer.
The snack bar chain Pret A Manger is another example of how the adoption of a new operating model is still in its infancy. Meals are now served in two ways: either wrapped in disposable paper for those who order takeout, or in glass trays with rubber lids, for those who want to eat at the restaurant.
When take-out packs run out, customers looking for a quick meal on the way to work, for example, may change restaurants or experience unforeseen delays.
Mobilizing employees to re-educate customers and prevent reusable dishes from being thrown away is another logistical hurdle. “Start using transparent garbage bags, so that your employees can more easily retrieve all the plates and forks that people throw away!” joked executive Antoine Barat, one of the founders of the French franchise Eat Salad, to the Financial Times.
Sustainability?
The gradual reduction of disposables has gained supporters in Europe — and critics too.
The European Paper Packaging Alliance (EPPA), an association that brings together paper packaging manufacturers on the continent, argues, for example, that single-use products are less harmful to the environment than those proposed by establishments, often made from rubber and hard plastic. According to her, the packaging recycling rate exceeded 80%.
Another study, carried out by the same association, says that the amount of additional water and energy needed to wash and dry the dishes implies 280% more carbon emissions compared to single-use packaging made of paper. Water consumption also jumps — in this case, to 340%.
At the other end, environmental activists praised the attitude of the French government. “We are extremely happy that this is finally coming into force”, said Alice Elfassi, representative of the NGO Zero Waste France, to the British newspaper The Guardian.
“Fast food is a sector that generates a lot of waste. While single-use plastic has already been banned in this sector, it has been replaced by large amounts of single-use products such as cardboard, wood, bamboo, which we consider an unacceptable waste of resources.”
The ban marks another step by France towards the definitive end of single-use plastic – a target set for 2040, according to the anti-waste law. And, although it is restricted to French territory, the European Commission is keeping an eye on the implications to test the feasibility of disseminating the measure throughout the European Union.
Since the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP21) in 2015, France has proposed to follow the “Transition Énergétique pour la Croissance Verte” (Energy Transition Plan for Green Growth, in free translation) — also known as “ Paris Agreement”.
The commitment, signed by 195 countries, is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030. The ban on single-use plastic follows this line: when disposed of in landfills, solid waste emits methane gas, one of the main villains of global warming.
Source: CNN Brasil
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