PARIS, France (AP) – No more plastic packaging surrounding fruits and vegetables, and automobile commercials advocating walking and cycling instead of driving: starting in 2022, a series of new restrictions will urge French customers to adopt more ecologically friendly behaviours.
President Emmanuel Macron’s government is promoting policies to minimise pollution and the impact of automobiles on greenhouse gas emissions.
Plastic will be phased out of the sale of leeks and carrots, tomatoes and potatoes, apples and pears, and roughly 30 more items starting Saturday. Instead, additional recyclable materials should be used to wrap them. Plastic will still be allowed for more delicate fruits like berries and peaches, but it will be phased out over the next few years.
According to the government, the new legislation is projected to reduce plastic waste by around 1 billion items each year.
Fast-food restaurants will no longer be able to give away free plastic toys to youngsters, while magazines and other publications will have to be distributed without plastic wrapping.
French vehicle advertisements will be compelled to include a message pushing consumers to seek greener modes of transportation in the coming year. They’ll have to say one of three things starting in March: “For short trips, prefer walking or cycling,” “Think about carpooling,” or “Take public transportation on a daily basis.”
The new restriction will apply to advertisements on television, radio, newspapers, billboards, and the internet, according to a decree issued this week. Advertisers that do not comply with a fine of up to 50,000 euros ($56,652) each run if they do not comply.
Similar mandated warnings have been part of processed food advertisements in France since 2007, such as “Avoid eating too fatty, too sweet, or too salty for your health.”
In France, the transportation industry is responsible for around 31% of greenhouse gas emissions, with private cars accounting for half of that.
Also in 2022, French phone companies and internet providers will be required to publish an estimate of greenhouse gas emissions created by their online and mobile phone activities to their customers.
The move is intended to improve public awareness of digital technology’s environmental impact. Data centres, which consume energy to build data clouds, are a major source of emissions. According to a Senate report released last year, the sector accounted for 2% of greenhouse gas emissions in France in 2019.