French supermarket Leclerc criticised for plastic use
French supermarket giant Leclerc has been chastised for its excess use of plastic on a pack of hard-boiled eggs, with a junior minister saying that a new “anti-waste” law would stop such “aberrations” in future.
Junior ecology minister Brune Poirson tweeted a criticism of the supermarket group, as a comment on a photo of hard-boiled eggs packaged in a polystyrene tray, and covered in a layer of plastic film.
In a sarcastic tone, she said: “Otherwise, to protect an egg, nature has invented an ingenious package, that we call a ‘shell’! Well done Leclerc for this fantastic innovation.
“Happily, the #LoiAntiGaspillage [#AntiWasteLaw] will see the removal of these aberrations.”
This so-called “name and shame” strategy is an intentional way of drawing attention to an issue, Ms Poirson’s team said.
In a statement, they said: “Behind this strategy is the idea that, as well as the law, there is also the question of image and reputation, which is equally important for a business.”
It added: “When you are such a big part of the public’s lives [Leclerc], you cannot have good intentions on the one hand, and on the other, put products onto the market that go against these principles.”
The hard-boiled eggs in this image represent a particular ecological issue.
Firstly, the fact that the eggs must be cooked first beforehand, followed by the double use of non-recyclable material to then package them.
The ecology ministry said: “Technically, the plastic film is recyclable, but we are not sure if it will be recycled properly, or put into the bin, as this [recycling system] is still not developed enough in France.
“And the black tray is probably expanded polystyrene, a product that will be banned from January 1 2021, and which in this case has been dyed with black carbon, which makes the material non-recyclable.”
Anti-waste law for 2021
The anti-waste law - known in French as the Loi Anti-Gaspillage - was voted through in February this year. It will include some bans, including on materials such as expanded polystyrene, but will also introduce a penalty system for some products.
This will mean that they will become too expensive to produce, effectively forcing them off the market and requiring their manufacturers to choose more eco-friendly alternatives.
In defence of Leclerc’s packaging, CEO Michel-Edouard Leclerc tweeted a response, saying that the group had taken significant steps to remove excess packaging in many areas already.
He described the hard-boiled egg packaging as a “blunder”, isolated to the Brittany store it came from.
And he wrote: “If one blunder in a store is worth a Tweet from a minister, how many Tweets [are we due] for the removal of 14 tons of plastic from these Leclerc ice creams?”
Eco-alert
This is the second public alert on ecological issues from Ms Poirson in three days.
On Sunday (June 7), she announced that littering in France in a public place - including medical face masks, and cigarette butts - will soon risk a fine of €135, rising to €375 in case of non-payment
She said: “Everyone must understand that all objects thrown on the ground often finish their journey in the ocean.
“If we want clean oceans and seas, it starts with clean pavements.”
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