France has announced that it will ban the sale of unprocessed fruits and vegetables packaged in plastic from 1 January 2022, in line with its anti-plastic waste laws published last February.
However, the rules will not apply to products over 1.5 kg, nor to those fruits and vegetables whose sale in bulk entails a risk of deterioration. Although the list of such products has not yet been published, it is expected to be published this summer. January 2022 will also see the use of stickers on individual fruits and vegetables being banned, unless they have been made from paper or compostable materials.
However, the French fresh produce sector has stressed that some forms of plastic packaging play a clear role in product quality or shelf life preservation. The rules will apply to all produce, including that from major suppliers like Spain and The Netherlands.
Photo caption: France will ban the sale of many fruit and vegetable products in plastic packaging from January 2022
Photo credit: Pexels
