France tightens plastics ban

France's rules on plastic are due to become stricter from January 1, 2021 when more products will be banned in another step towards the end of single-use plastic packaging, set by the government for 2040.

From Friday, small multicoloured plastic confetti will be forbidden from sale. The party is also over for disposable cutlery, straws, coffee stirrers, drink lids, steak markers, and disposable plastic balloon rods, as well polystyrene fast food boxes.

Every year, 100 billion disposable plastic products are sold and 180,000 tonnes of packaging are produced by the fast food sector, according to the government.

In 2017, France said goodbye to plastic checkout bags, then, in early 2020, to plates, cups and "single-use" cotton buds.

Plastic cups alone, which have been banned since January 2020, represented five kilograms of waste per French person per year, according to the association Zero Waste France.