In France, fast-food chains like McDonald’s and Burger King will no longer be able to give customers food in throwaway boxes or single-use knives and forks to eat with. Under the new law, restaurants that can seat 20 people or more will have to provide reusable plates, cups, and cutlery, to customers instead. The new system will come into force from 1 January 2023, with the aim to try and reduce plastic and other types of waste in the country.
This isn’t the first time France has done something like this. On January 1 2022, a ban on single-use plastic packaging for more than 30 types of fruits and vegetables came into affect. How big a impact will the new law have? It’s reported that every year around six billion meals are served in around 30,000 fast food restaurants in France, which generates two million tons of waste.
Alice Elfassi from Zero Waste France said she is “extremely happy” about the law change, as a move away from plastics used in fast food restaurants had simply seen them replaced “by large amounts of throwaway products like cardboard, wood, bamboo, which we consider an unacceptable waste of resources.” Under the new anti-waste law, restaurants and cafes will have to serve eat-in burgers and sandwiches wrapped in paper instead of boxes. Every other food item, like nuggets, pizzas, cakes, or ice creams will have to be handed over on plates or inside re-usable containers, which will later be washed and used again.