France bans plastic fruit and vegetables packaging in implementing anti-waste law

France will ban plastic packaging for around 30 fruits and vegetables from January 2022 as part of efforts to implement an anti-waste law that supports the country’s transition to a circular economy.

The list of fruits in the plastic packaging ban includes apples, oranges, pears, courgettes, aubergines, and cucumbers.

Some delicate fruits and vegetables, including apricots, peaches, and red fruits can still be sold with plastic packaging until the end of June 2026.

The main target in France’s bid to cut packaging use is single-use plastics.

According to France’s environment ministry, with 37 percent of fruits and vegetables sold in packaging, the measure would eliminate over 1 billion unnecessary plastic packaging items every year.

The ministry noted that people use an outrageous amount of single-use plastic every day. It now aims at cutting back throwaway plastic use and increase its substitution by other materials.