France becomes first country to ban plastic cups and plates. Means No Bottle Water, No CWay, No PET Soft Drinks!
Francehasbecomethefirstcountryintheworldtobandisposableplasticcupsandplates.AnewFrenchlawwillrequirealldisposabletablewaretobemadefrom50%biologically-sourcedmaterialsthatcanbecompostedathomebyJanuaryof2020.Thatnumberwillriseto60%byJanuaryof2025.ThemeasureisanadditiontoFrance’s“EnergyTransitionforGreenGrowthAct,”awide-reachinglawadoptedlastyearwiththeaimofmitigatingtheimpactofclimatechange.Francehopestobecomeaworldleaderinenvironmentalandenergysolutions,catalyzedbytheCOP21ClimateChangeconferenceheldinParislastDecember.Onehundredandfiftysingle-usecupsarethrownawayeverysecondinthecountry—4.73billionperyear,accordingtotheFrenchAssociationofHealthandEnvironment,ASEF.Only1%ofthemisrecycled,largelybecausetheyaremadeofamixtureofpolypropyleneandpolystyrene.IndustrybacklashWhiletheFrenchbanhasbeencheeredbymany,othersarenothappy.Pack2GoEurope,anindustryassociationrepresentingEurope’sleadingfood-packagingmanufacturers,saidthatthemeasureviolatesEUlawonthefreemovementofgoods.IthasaskedtheEUCommissiontoblocktheFrenchlawandisconsultingwithlawyersabouttakinglegalactionagainstFrance.“Findingapackagethatmeetsthereallycriticalfoodhygienerequirementsthatconsumerswant,thatcanalsobecompostedinadomesticcomposter…rightnowtheydon’texist,”saidEamonnBates,secretarygeneraloftheBrussels-basedbody.“Mymembersarenotagainstbioplasticsornewproducts.Buttheindustrydoesopposethembeingimposedforcertainapplicationsespeciallywhenthelife-cycleanalysisshowsthatthereisnoenvironmentalbasisfordoingso,”hesaid.Thereisdebatewithinscientificandmanufacturingsectorsastowhethertheenergyrequiredtoproduceenvironmentally-friendlyplasticsisgreenerthanthealternatives.Canawholecountryrunonrenewableenergy?ResearchersattheNetherlands’WageningenUniversitywhoinvestigatedthepotentialofthematerialsfoundthatwhilebioplasticsrepresentthemostviablefuturealternativetooil-basedproducts,theprocessesusedtoproducethemneedtobecomemoreenergy-efficienttomakethemworthwhile.PlasticbagsbannedFrance’snewlawistheworkofSégolèneRoyal,FrenchministerforEcology,SustainableDevelopmentandEnergy.Her“GreenGrowth”planseekstocutlandfillwasteinhalfby2025andreducegreenhouseemissions40%by2030,comparedto1990levels.AsmalllookatabigproblemInJuly,Franceimposedatotalbanonthedistributionoflightweightplasticbagsatsupermarketcheckouts,ameasurealreadyinplaceinseveralcountries.Bangladeshbecamethefirstnationtobanthebagsin2002,aftertheyblockedupdrainagesystemsduringflooding.CountriesincludingSouthAfrica,Kenya,China,RwandaandMexicohavefollowedsuit,alongwithcertainstatesoftheUS.RetailersintheUnitedKingdomandNewYorkCitychargecustomersasmallfeeforplasticbagsatsupermarkets.InIreland,the0.17Euro(<%=content%>.19)feeintroducedin2002reducedplasticbagusagefrom328perpersonto14perpersonin2014.Thefeehasnowincreasedto0.22Euros(<%=content%>.25).Scientistsestimatethataroundeightmilliontonsofplasticwasteendedupintheworld’soceansin2010,withwarningsthatthisamountcouldincreasetenfoldunlessinternationalwastemanagementisimproved.Bringingthishome,itmeansnobottlewater,noPETsoftdrinks…Notakeawayatevent,notakeeawayatFastFoodOutlets?DoyouthinkevenifthislawispassedinNigeria,manufactureswillcomply?Dear,howareyoudoingtoday?Iamaone-timePP&PETplasticcupfactoryfromChinasupplier,weprovidethebestqualityserviceandthemostcost-effectiveprice,freeofbisphenolAisfoodcontactsafeproductthroughFDA&SGScertification.Freesamplesanddirectorieswillbesentifneeded.Inboxbackorcallme,pleaseletmetalkaboutthedetails.Lookingforwardtoworkingwithyouinthenearfuture.Bestregardsandthanks.E-mail/Skype:dgfeiyang@live.cnWww:chafeiyang.com