France has just announced a new official law which bans all plastic plates and cutlery, in an attempt to help a new greener world, although not everyone is happy about it.
France passed the new law which prevents the use and production of all plastic cups, cutlery and plates, ensuring that all of these items are now made of biologically-sourced materials, therefore meaning that they can all be composted.
The law will come into effect in 2020 and is part of the plan which aims to allow the country to make an increasingly effective contribution against the ongoing battle of climate change, called the Energy Transition for Green Growth.
Whilst many are onboard with this positive plan, which will greatly aid towards a greener planet, other organisations argue that the new law is violating European Union rules on the free movement of goods.
A Brussels-based organisation that represents European packaging manufacturers, called Pack2Go Europe, has claimed that it will continue to fight against the new law as they believe that there is no proof that the biologically-sourced materials that the new law has given as the alternative to the current plastic, is more environmentally beneficial.
They are also hoping that the rest of Europe will follow in their footsteps of fighting against the law.
The Pack2go Europe secretary general, Eamonn Bates, told The Associated Press, “We are urging the European Commission to do the right thing and to take legal action against France for infringing European law. If they don’t, we will.”
Mr Bates believes that the ban might actually make the situation worse due to the possibility that many people may misunderstand the extent and true meaning of degradability.
He explains this by saying that, “[The ban will] be understood by consumers to mean that it is okay to leave this packaging behind in the countryside after use because it’s easily bio-degradable in nature. That’s nonsense! It may even make the litter problem worse”.
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Jess Murray is a wildlife filmmaker and conservation blogger, having recently returned from studying wildlife and conservation in South Africa, she is now striving to spread awareness about the truth behind faux conservation facilities throughout the world. You can follow Jess on Facebook Here