Tougher rules on supermarket bags

March 16, 2010

A COMPLETE ban on plastic bags in supermarkets and hypermarkets could come into force next year, as part of a new law on reducing waste.

Parliament is discussing a possible reinforcement of the current rules which have seen the majority of supermarkets stop offering free bags to shoppers.

The 2006 Loi d'Orientation Agricole set a January 2010 target for plastic bags to disappear. Most supermarkets have followed the rules and now sell biodegradable, recyclable strengthened bags, however a number of small local convenience stores (superettes) still provide bags.

Junior Environment Minister Chantal Jouanno said "a lot of work had been achieved" in recent years but there was still more that could be done to cut down on waste.

According to the ministry, 10.5 billion plastic bags were handed out in French supermarkets in 2002. This fell to 1.5 billion last year - down 85%.

The new law going through parliament this summer aims to rid every supermarket of single-use plastic bags by the end of 2011. The Féderation du Commerce et de la Distribution, the retail trade body with members including Auchan, Casino and Carrefour, has already agreed to the measure.

The legislation would also require every large supermarket - with a surface area of more than 2,500m² - to have a recycling point at the exit where shoppers can remove unnecessary packaging from the food they have just bought.

Opponents say this rule does nothing to tackle the problem at source - and it would be better to impose packaging rules on manufacturers instead of forcing supermarkets to pick up the recycling bill.


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LOL. The Fruunch are worried about plastic bags while the Muzz are taking over their country, burning their cars and raping their women.

JeanValette wrote:

Tougher rules on supermarket bags

Why do Frunch need supermarket bags? They get eat whatever they find crawling around on the ground.

Surrender_Monkey wrote:

Why do Frunch need supermarket bags?

They have an important dual use in taking home McDonalds.

In Germany the supermarkets stopped giving out free bags two decades ago. You can still buy them, for 5 to 50 cents, depending on the quality.

Axel_Bavaria wrote:

In Germany the supermarkets stopped giving out free bags two decades ago. You can still buy them, for 5 to 50 cents, depending on the quality.

ah yes the zwanzig pfennig Plastiktueten and the zwanzig pfennig ketchup packets and encouragement to bring your own plastic wrapping to the meat market ... european countries are very consumer unfriendly