The French parliament last week adopted a law on energy transition and green growth that displays a strong commitment to bio-based and bio-degradable plastics for packaging.
The law was proposed by Ségolène Royal, minister of ecology, sustainable development and energy, and gained vocal support from European Bioplastics (EUBP) chairman François de Bie.
According to the proposal, nuclear power will take a lesser role in France’s energy mix, while renewables will account for 40 per cent by 2030. Meanwhile, CO2 emissions will have to be reduced by 40 per cent by 2030.
However, what caught the attention of the bioplastics industry was the specific demand that bioplastic lightweight bags for fruit and vegetables be bio-based and compostable in the home from 1 January 2017 onwards.
“France has taken a step forward to the responsible consumption of plastic materials and to treating waste as a valuable resource,” said de Bie. “Bioplastic materials will contribute their share to its environmentally responsible economic growth.”
'These provisions represent an important step for the French bioplastics industry,” added Christophe Doukhi-de Boissoudy, president of French association Club Bio-plastiques, “which has invested more than €40m in the last 15 years. Unfortunately, however, an important opportunity to promote single-use bags that are bio-based and bio-degradable at the cashier's desk was missed. They could have been a valuable tool to safely transport goods and later on to hygienically collect biowaste.”
