How French laws on plastic packaging are changing an industry
France’s push to cut down on single-use plastics is reshaping the packaging industry, with companies having to adapt to meet rising demand for eco-friendly materials, as new regulations take effect. While items such as plastic straws and takeaway containers are less prevalent now, non-food packaging remains heavily plastic-based – forcing businesses to innovate to comply with stricter rules.
“Many clients are aware of their carbon footprint, and they are already working on reducing it. So some of them tell me: no plastic, I don’t want to see any plastic, only paper,” says Raphael Bodaire, director of sales for Raja, Europe's largest packaging distributor. “They are aware not only of the laws, but they are also sensitive about the environment and their impact on it.”
This French company sells 1,200 different shapes of boxes for companies large and small to use for shipping their products, as well as the materials that go with them: tape, bubble wrap, cling film, crates...
These days both French and European rules and regulations are pushing the packaging industry to go green, which was evident at a recent trade fair at which Raja and other companies were showing their wares – at least a third were highlighting their sustainability credentials.
More in the Spotlight on France podcast:
The Lebhar Group, a small French company which produces paper-based food packaging, mostly for bakeries, was showing off an all-paper cake board – the card under a cake or pastry that makes it easier to lift and transport.
Read more on RFI English
Read also:
What steps is France taking to tackle its plastic pollution?
How big industry 'diluted' the EU's triumphant deal on packaging waste
Cigarette butts, the plastic pollution that's hiding in plain sight
