On 22 February 2022, the Ministry of Ecological Transition announced that, as part of the national 3Rs strategy (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle single-use plastic packaging), the French government is inviting industries to draw up their sectoral roadmap, and that it will financially support all those who commit to this approach.
“France consumes 4.8 million tonnes of plastics each year, of which almost 46% is packaging, the vast majority of which is single-use, and since 2000 the world has produced more plastics than in the previous 50 years. The phenomenon is increasing and this production could double again by 2040,” recalls the press release from the Ministry of Ecological Transition.
In view of this, France has set itself a target of phasing out single-use plastic packaging by 2040, through the Anti-Waste for a Circular Economy Act (known as the AGEC law), enacted on 10 February 2020.
This long-term objective is broken down into five-year intermediate milestones of reduction, reuse and recycling: the first 3Rs decree “Reduce-Reuse-Recycle” for the period 2021-2025 was published on 29 April 2021. To achieve these objectives, a draft strategy, submitted for public consultation since 5 February 2022, has been drawn up.
The State is now inviting the sectors to take ownership of this strategy and to draw up their own sectoral roadmap. It will provide them with financial support under the France Relance plan.
As a reminder, the three collective targets set by the first 3Rs decree for the period 2021-2025 are:
• 20% reduction in single-use …
