A ban on the use of plastic packaging for a variety of fruits and vegetables came into force in France on the first day of the new year and poses new challenges to the packaging industry in the country.
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The full legislation will take effect in 2026 to allow companies a period of reorganization, including for berries that are considered particularly delicate. At the same time, an extension of six months was granted to allow the use of existing reservoirs of plastic packaging.
The new ban will apply to about 30 products, including apples, leeks, carrots, tomatoes, potatoes and pears. “No one consulted with us,” Lauren Grandan, head of the Interpol Association representing fruit and vegetable producers, was quoted as saying by AFP. According to him, the costs for small companies are enormous, especially for exporters who are forced to protect the product in dedicated packaging. Another problem that manufacturers have to deal with is the rising costs of cardboard packaging, which climbed by about 30% last year due to rising demand for various industries and declining supply in China, the leading manufacturer.
The announcement of the ban on the use of plastic packaging, published in early October, caught the packaging companies by surprise, mainly because of the ban on the use of recycled plastic. “We have customers who will have to stop packing fruit and vegetables, even though they have been working on alternatives and have been using less plastic or recycled plastic for several years,” said a statement from the Ovalso Association, which represents the manufacturers.
Unions representing 3,500 packaging companies have appealed to the French Council of State against what they define as creating distortions in European markets and discriminating against the French market – the only one that has so far introduced such a ban.
Spain is also preparing to ban plastic packaging of vegetables and fruits weighing less than 1.5 kg, but it will take effect only next year. Spain produces two million tons of plastic packaging a year, half of which goes to landfills. The purpose of the law is to encourage Spaniards to buy fruits and vegetables Bulk in environmentally friendly packaging, including baskets to bring with them from home.According to Greenpeace activists, Spain is the second largest producer of plastic pollution in the Mediterranean region after Turkey, with about 3,000 tons of bottles and plastic packaging a year.
Last July, the European Union introduced a ban on the use of disposable utensils – including straws, bottles, coffee cups and takeaway cases – made from non-perishable materials. However, the initiative of packing fruits and vegetables in environmentally friendly containers is meanwhile reserved for France and Spain only.
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