Guidelines for your region
We’ve partnered with Gate C to develop an environmentally aware packaging framework for restaurants in France, and help you make informed decisions for your business.
The framework is in line with the French and global guidelines, which emphasise packaging designed for reuse or recycling.
Criteria used to assess packaging
We worked with experts to develop criteria to help you understand if a type of packaging is more environmentally aware. To be considered more environmentally aware, packaging must meet the following criteria:
Is it prohibited in France?
Packaging that is not allowed by French regulation or by the Sustainable packaging charter (signed by 19 catering players with the Ministry of Ecological Transition) is not considered sustainable. Examples of prohibited packaging include polystyrene, plastic cutlery and straws, plastic drink cups and their lids, plastic bags, PVC and opaque PET.
Is it recyclable or compostable?
Packaging that can be widely recycled in France includes clear PET, PE, and PP packaging, PE film and flexible packaging, aluminum, paper, and fibre (both lined and unlined). PVC and other plastics such as PLA cannot be recycled in France.
Look for these certification symbols to indicate that items are recyclable:
Some small items such as utensils and straws can’t be recycled, regardless of the material they are made of. Because of this, many items made with reduced impact on the environment through use of renewable materials can be considered more environmentally aware. These materials include raw wood, cellulose fibre or paper.
Note that compostable packaging (including compostable plastics) are not accepted into organic waste streams, and cannot be considered environmentally aware.
Examples of environmentally aware packaging
Based on the criteria listed above, here are some examples of how environmentally aware packaging is assessed in France.
Type of packaging | Is it sustainable? | Reason |
|---|---|---|
Plastic bags (i.e. HDPE/LDPE shopping bags) | No | Prohibited by the sustainable packaging charter |
Plastic cutlery | No | Single-use plastic cutlery is prohibited by law |
Paper bowl (plastic lined) | Yes | The packaging can be recycled in the paper recycling stream, and is at least 50% recyclable |
Plastic (PP, PET) bowl + lid | Yes | Can be recycled |
Clear plastic (PP, PET) cup + lid | No | Cups made from plastic are prohibited by law |
Find local packaging suppliers
To make it easier and more affordable for you to source environmentally aware packaging, we’ve partnered with suppliers in your area.
We're here to help, but you should make decisions based on what's best for your business. We've teamed up with experts in the industry to help provide this information as of the date of publication. Materials are provided for informational purposes only and shouldn't be relied upon as business or legal advice from Uber.
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