Fast food restaurants in France will stop using disposable containers, plates, cups and tableware for customers from January 1 as part of the French government’s efforts to combat waste and encourage recycling.
France has about 30,000 fast food outlets serving six billion meals annually, producing an estimated waste of 180,000 tons annually.
As per the new rules, any eatery – including work canteens, bakery chains, fast food, and sushi outlets – with 20 or more seats will have to serve dining-in customers using reusable, washable cups, plates, dishes, and cutlery.
Ban welcomed
French environmental groups lauded the fast food ‘revolution’ in France, calling it a “complete paradigm shift” for the food industry.
“It’s an emblematic measure that if properly implemented will make a very concrete difference for people — it definitely goes in the right direction,” said Moira Tourneur of the non-profit Zero Waste France.
“We’re extremely happy that this is finally coming into force,” said Alice Elfassi, head of legal affairs for the NGO Zero Waste France, which pushed for the measure. “Fast food is a sector that produces a lot of waste. Although single-use plastic had already been banned, it had been replaced by large amounts of throwaway products like cardboard, wood, bamboo, which we consider an unacceptable waste of resources.”
Criticism
European Paper Packaging Alliance (EPPA) is not happy with the law, which it criticized arguing that most disposable containers are made of renewable resources with a recycling rate of 82% across the European Union.
EPPA also highlighted that making reusable, durable items consumes more energy, water, and other natural resources, beating the purpose of the environmental cause.
Food chains prepare for change
Restaurant chains in France, including McDonald’s, Burger King, Starbucks and Subway, have been preparing for months to implement the no-disposable-utensil policy, which comes into force starting next year.
After several months of testing, the Subway sandwich chain came to the conclusion that a “public awareness effort” was required to tell clients to reuse tableware.
A manager at a McDonald’s chain in the Paris suburb of Levallois-Perret, said they had to hire an additional dishwasher and more staff to explain to customers that now plates, forks and knives should not be thrown in the trash.
“At first it was very complicated, both at the counter and with table service,” she said, noting that the kitchen had to be remodeled to cope with the new requirements.
Groups such as Zero Waste France and No Plastic in My Sea have urged clients to “sanction the chains that don’t respect the law”/
Pressure groups fear the new requirements might lead fast food operators to resist. Some restaurants are also hesitant about the new policy enforcing the use of reusable crockery, noting that clients often take reusable cups with them after a meal or even throw plates and cutlery in the trash instead of returning them.