Single-use tableware in on-site restaurants is no longer allowed in France!

From January 1^st, 2023, catering businesses can no longer use disposable tableware for meals served on site.

The Circular Economy law¹ has indeed required that all catering establishments which can accommodate at least 20 guests must serve meals eaten on site in reusable tableware. This ban on disposable dishes and packaging is aimed in particular at fast food restaurants, but also collective company canteens, school canteens, museum cafeterias, etc. 

The decree implementing the law is however silent on the definition of reusable tableware and in particular on the materials that should be used.

The Ministry for the Ecological Transition announced that a campaign of inspections will be launched in early March, and sanctions may be imposed on restaurant chains which continue to serve meals with disposable tableware and which have not yet implemented an action plan in order to address the situation.

Non-compliance is sanctioned by criminal and administrative penalties:

• a fine of up to € 1.500 for natural persons and € 7.500 for legal entities (€ 3.000 and € 15.000 for a repeat offence) ;
• a formal notice issued by the administrative authority and a daily fine of up to € 1.500 until compliance with the formal notice.

After running an enquiry last January, the French association Zero Waste pointed out the non- compliance of more than 50% of fast food restaurants. It even sent letters to four fast food chains reminding them of the law and the penalties incurred, hoping for a quick compliance.

At the same time, the association alerted the Ministry for the Ecological Transition on the follow-up it intends to give: among the thirty companies gathered by the Ministry at the beginning of the year in order to discuss the implementation of such new ban, ten still do not have a compliance plan. However, general public has no information on what they intend to implement and by when. Several associations, including Zero Waste, call for more transparency.

As a reminder, 20 billion pieces of cutlery, cups, plates and other disposable containers end up being thrown away every year. The Ministry finally recalled that this measure should help to avoid almost 200.000 tons of waste.

¹Law No. 2020-105 of February 10th, 2020 on the fight against waste and the circular economy.

For more information on the sustainability claims and greenwashing in France please see here.

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