[vox_mundi]

France Bans All Plastic Dishware Starting in 2020

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', ' ') Disposable plates, bowls, and forks must all be plant-based and compostable.

The Associated Press reports that France has enacted a ban on all plastic dishes, cups, and utensils. The ban goes into effect in 2020, after which all disposable utensils and dishes must be made of biological, rather than petroleum-based, material.

[rockdoc123]

interesting. I wonder if they will ban all containers for wine given the glass and cork all require burning of fossil fuels to achieve. The vinters will not be happy.

[WildRose]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('rockdoc123', 'i')nteresting. I wonder if they will ban all containers for wine given the glass and cork all require burning of fossil fuels to achieve. The vinters will not be happy.

[Ibon]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('rockdoc123', 'i')nteresting. I wonder if they will ban all containers for wine given the glass and cork all require burning of fossil fuels to achieve. The vinters will not be happy.

[rockdoc123]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'D')on't pay Rock any mind. He's an oil industry plant.

[Tanada]

Here is a possible case of the law of unintended consequences.

There is a demand for disposable eating utensils and place settings/cups/plates/bowls.

By outlawing 'plastic' dishware in the face of this demand how likely is it that biological alternatives will regain favor in the eyes of the manufacturers and public?

For example, from the introduction of convenience foods up through at least the late 1980's single serving foods like Ice Cream cups and those Cheese and Cracker packets for kids snacks came with a wooden 'spoon' or equivalent. Then with super abundant plastic cheaply available the manufacturers switched over to plastic spoons and plastic spreaders respectively.

Is there any reason to think manufacturers shall not just revert to issuing wooden disposable utensils? By the same token before Styrofoam containers they were made cardboard and waxed paper.

I don't see manufacturers just giving up on convenience foods with their profit built in. I foresee an excellent chance that wood and paper products will make a big come back.

Great that is the plan you say?

So where are all these additional wood resources going to come from? All of the wood being harvested today is being consumed today. They start by making boards and beams, but the chips also get consumed to make OSB, the sawdust gets consumed to make pressed board and Formica and so on and so forth. Any bits left over not good enough to go into manufactured wood products gets turned into pellet fuel or burned as scrap.

Where is this new wood demand going to be met from? Will there be fewer building constructed? Will paper manufacturing have to be sharply reduced? Or will the last remaining forests on the planet suddenly become major targets for harvesting? There are a lot of trees in Canada and Alaska and Siberia that have been mostly ignored because demand was being met more locally, but this will massively increase demand for wood and paper products.

[vox_mundi]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Tanada', 'S')o where are all these additional wood resources going to come from?

[ROCKMAN]

FYI: Not just dishware and not just France turning away from plastic:

A year ago, the European Union made it compulsory for member states to take measures against very lightweight plastic bags, to keep yearly average use below 80 per person. As a result, the Netherlands introduced a ban on free plastic bags at the beginning of 2016. Lightweight plastic bags are, however, still allowed to be used for buying fruit and vegetables in supermarkets and on markets.

France has decided to take much stricter action. As of 1 July 2016, all single-use plastic bags with a thickness of less than 50 microns have been banned, regardless of their size and whether they are free or not. Consumers have to use reusable plastic bags (which are thicker than 50 microns) or bags made from something else. As of 1 January next year, all disposable plastic packaging, (as used for packaging all fruit and vegetables) up to the same thickness of 50 microns will be banned. Supermarkets in France had already decided to stop giving away free plastic bags earlier. Read more in this French article.

The European directive also includes rules regarding so-called bioplastics. A standard needs to be developed for packaging which is suitable for home composting. The European Commission does not regard bioplastics which degrade using oxygen (oxo-degradable plastics) to be a solution to litter.

The new French legislation, in compliance with the European directive, also sets standards for bioplastics. For instance, in the future they must be home compostable (breaking down within 6 months at a temperature of 26 degrees). Plastic bags which break down via oxo-degradation are not considered a solution to litter.

However, the French legislation has failed to set a standard for the biodegradability of bioplastics in water. When bioplastics enter water and do not break down, the use of bags made from biodegradable plastics does not solve the problem of plastic soup.

[careinke]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('vox_mundi', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Tanada', 'S')o where are all these additional wood resources going to come from?