The French government imposes a ban on the sale of vegetables and fruits in plastic packaging. The list has so far included about 30 items: leeks, eggplants, round tomatoes, apples, bananas and oranges. The ban will take effect from the new year.
According to experts, in France, about 37% of fruits and vegetables are sold in packaging, so the new measure will remove about 1 billion units of plastic products from circulation. It will be quite difficult to switch to using cardboard packaging in such a short time.
The new ban is part of the government's long-term program to phase out plastic. Since 2021, the country has banned the use of plastic cups, straws, cutlery, and it is no longer possible to make boxes for carrying foam products.
France will introduce new restrictive measures until 2026. Drinking fountains are to be installed in public places in 2022 to reduce the use of plastic bottles. Restaurants will be banned from giving away free plastic toys.
In 2023, a ban on the use of disposable tableware in fast food restaurants will be introduced. It will not be possible to sell cherry tomatoes, green beans and plastic peaches.
In 2024, the sale of asparagus, mushrooms, some salads and herbs, and cherries will be banned. In 2026, it will be prohibited to sell sliced fruits and certain types of gourmet fruits in plastic.
In Russia, in August 2021, the Ministry of Natural Resources proposed to ban the use of 28 types of disposable packaging and goods on the territory of the country. The head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov explained that the rejection of disposable plastic will lead to losses in the amount of 250 billion rubles and one should think about plastic recycling instead of banning it.