France to ban plastic packaging for fruit and vegetables

France will ban plastic packaging for an extensive list of fruits and vegetables from January 2022 in a bid to cut packaging consumption, particularly the use of single-use plastic.

The government has published a list of around 30 fruits and vegetables that will be subject to the plastic packaging ban coming into effect on 1 January 2022. The list includes courgettes, aubergines and cucumbers, as well as apples, oranges and pears.

The country’s environment ministry estimates that 37% of fruits and vegetables are sold in packaging, and expects the measure to eliminate more than 1 billion unnecessary plastic packaging items every year.

“We use an outrageous amount of single-use plastic in our daily lives. The circular economy law aims at cutting back the use of throwaway plastic and boost its substitution by other materials or reusable and recyclable packaging,” the ministry said in a statement, cited by Reuters.

A limited number of delicate fruits and vegetables – such as peaches, apricots and red fruits – can still be sold with plastic packaging for the time being, but by the end of June 2026 all varieties will be subject to the ban.

The ban is part of efforts to implement an anti-waste law – adopted last year – that aims to support France’s transition to a circular economy.