France is introducing a penalty system next year that will raise the cost of goods packaged with non-recyclable plastics.
Consumer choices
This is the latest part of the country’s promise to use solely recyclable plastics by 2025.
The new plan could mean products packaged with recyclable plastics could cost up to ten per cent less, while those packaged with materials that are non-recyclable could cost up to ten per cent more.
France’s Secretary of State for Ecological Transition Brune Poirson was quoted by the Journal du Dimanche as saying: “Declaring war on plastic is not enough. We need to transform the French economy.”
She added that if there is a choice between two products, one bottles in recycled plastic and the other bottled in a plastic that is not currently recyclable, the first will be more economical for the consumer.
This scheme will help consumers to make more environmentally-friendly choices without cost being a barrier.
The French government has made a string of pledges to help tackle the amount of plastic ending up in the natural world. The administration plans to increase taxes on burying rubbish in landfill, while it has slashed taxes for recycling operations. France has, like many of its European counterparts, banned free plastic bags in supermarkets and other stores, and many large French retailers and chains are outlawing plastic straws.
At present, France recycles around a quarter of its plastic.
Authorities welcomed the decision to make products packaged with non-recyclable plastics more expensive – but some did so cautiously.
Emmanuel Guichard from Elipso was quoted by news outlets as saying: “For bottles, giving consumers a choice is possible. But we can't forget other items - today there's no recycled plastics available for yogurt pots.”
Flore Berlingen of Zero Waste France was quoted by AFP as saying: “We're hoping that companies play the game so that clients aren't the ones penalised.”
