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https://reasonstobecheerful.world/france-plastic-packaging-fruit-vegetables/>
"Stacks of wooden crates filled with bulging Savoy cabbages, thick sheathes of
wild leek and bunches of loose-leaf lettuce line the front of Kilogramme. And
it’s not because the morning’s delivery has just arrived.
Inside the Parisian grocery store, a rainbow of fresh fruits and vegetables are
also in thin wooden boxes. At the back of the space, all kinds of pulses, beans
and grains are stored in glass self-service dispensers. And on the shelves are
rows of sauces and compotes in tins and jars. There isn’t a shred of plastic
packaging in sight.
“Our objective was to have a space that offers food that is healthy for people
but also healthy for the planet,” says Iris Herbomel, the owner of Kilogramme,
a zero-waste grocery store in Paris’ northeastern 19th arrondissement. “For us,
that means we shouldn’t be using unnecessary packaging. Who needs their bananas
sold in a plastic bag?”
Kilogramme, which opened in 2018, is one of a growing number of grocery stores
in the French capital attempting to tear up the traditional food supply system,
which they see as seriously damaging to the environment, and create a model
that is localized, artisanal and less wasteful.
“We are in a period of crisis,” adds Herbomel. “It’s a time when everyone wants
to make an effort. We can’t just throw everything away. People are more engaged
on this subject of the environment, much more aware of it.”
Soon, grocery stores and supermarkets across the whole of France could look
more like Kilogramme. In October, the government announced that as of January
1, 2022, the use of plastic packaging for fruits and vegetables under 1.5
kilograms will be banned. Thirty types of fresh produce, from zucchini to
eggplants, cauliflowers to radishes, and apples to kiwis will need to be on the
shelves without plastic packaging.
The ramifications are considerable. Currently, 37 percent of fruits and
vegetables in France are now sold in packaging, according to the French
Ministry for Ecological Transition. Some 2.2 million metric tons of plastic
packaging is used each year, and the recycling rate is just 27 percent. The
government estimates the ban will mean that over a billion fewer units of
plastic packaging will be used each year."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
