Sustainability October 12, 2016
After hours of planning, your perfect date night has finally arrived. You have an elaborate picnic laid out on the grass, a view of the Eiffel tower and the guy of your dreams for company. But as you try to unwrap your wine and cheese, you realize you don’t have the plastic utensils fit for a picnic!
By the year 2020, missing plastic utensils will be commonplace in France, thanks to a France’s new Energy Transition for Green Growth Act. This bill is much more than an environmentally protective moment; it’s also an international trade controversy. Why should you care about France ditching the plastic trend? And what is this bill really about anyway? Here’s everything you need to know.
Before you start wondering why this ban emerged out of the blue, think back to your own trips to the supermarket and ask, “Have I see any plastic bags lately?” Depending on where you live, the answer may be, “No.”
As CNN explains, Bangladesh banned plastic bags way back in 2002 after they clogged drainage systems during floods. Several countries – including South Africa, Kenya, China, Rwanda, Mexico and France – have followed in their (green) footsteps. Even some U.S. states and cities have made efforts to reduce the use of plastic bags. For instance, in New York City, supermarket customers are charged a small fee for plastic bags. Getting rid of plastic utensils and dishes, then, might just be the next step towards a greener, less polluted world.
Speaking of a greener world, if you ever watched the show “Captain Planet,” you’ve probably daydreamed about saving the planet with superhuman powers. France’s Green group, the EELV party, had a similar goal but decided to use legal measures instead. According to The Local, 4.73 billion plastic cups are thrown away in France per year and only one percent are recycled.
That’s where this bill comes in. It’s intended to benefit the environment in multiple ways. First, of course, it will reduce the amount of plastic that ends up being thrown into landfills. The bill will also save the energy previously used to make plastic and cut down on pollution. You’ve probably heard the saying, “Kill two birds with one stone.” This bill will save the birds, their environment and lower energy usage at the same time.
So what will French picnickers be using in the near future? CNN reports that, by 2020, disposable tableware must be made of 50 percent biodegradable material. In 2025, the required level of compostable material in tableware will increase to 60 percent. What does that actually mean? Basically, instead of having to throw away or recycle plastic, people will be able to add their plates and utensils to the compost gardens at their own homes. Talk about a new way to have a “green” thumb!
Ditching plastic may sound great … until you consider the companies whose businesses rely on that material. In particular, Pack2GoEurope, an association that represents Europe’s top food-packaging companies, has spoken against the recent bill. In fact, the company argues that the measure breaks European Union laws and that present technology is not able to create “a package that meets the really critical food hygiene requirements that consumers want, that can also be composted.”
Some people might think that all of the world’s pollution problems would disappear along with plastic, but biodegradable materials have their own issues. In fact, the measure originally called for 50 percent biodegradable materials by 2017, but Environmental Minister Segolene Royal initially called the bill “anti-social.” His reasoning? It is often families with less money who rely on single-use dishes and utensils and, therefore, the bill could affect families in lower socioeconomic classes more than others.
Pack2GoEurope’s Secretary General Eamonn Bates also offered his share of criticism. According to him, because the products will be promoted as “easily bio-degradable-in nature,” consumers will think that “it is OK to leave this packaging behind in the countryside after use.”
The Energy Transition for Green Growth Act has plenty of respectable goals. According to CNN, the act strives to slice the amount of landfill waste in half by 2025 and, by 2030, boast greenhouse emissions that are 40 percent lower than levels from the 1990s. While its intentions are clear, how well its movements – including the ban against plastic bags and tableware – will decrease humanity’s environmental impact are less transparent.
All you should know for sure? If you want to picnic at Paris anytime soon … bring your own silverware.
