SGS, the world’s leading testing, inspection and certification company, has published SafeGuardS 078.23 to give stakeholders a clearer understanding of France’s ban on the sale of fruit and vegetables wrapped in plastic.
The ban came into effect on July 1, 2023, following the publishing of Decree N°2023-478 in the Official Journal (JORF) on June 21, 2023. This is part of France’s implementation of an Anti-waste and Circular Economy (Agec) law which, since 2022, has prohibited the sale of fresh fruit and vegetables in plastic packaging, unless they are packaged in batches of more than 1.5kg. There is also an exemption for fruits and vegetables that present a risk of deterioration when sold in bulk.
The government initially planned to list 23 fruits and vegetables, in addition to perfectly ripe fruits. The new decree increases this list to 29 and contains everything from asparagus and broccoli to cranberries and mung bean sprouts.
SGS has published SafeGuardS 078.23 to give stakeholders a better understanding of the journey this ban has taken and information on the relaxation of a derogation mechanism for the disposal of stock and a specific exemption for rubber bands. It also includes a complete list of the 29 exempted fruits and vegetables.
To learn more, Stakeholders are advised to review the original SafeGuardS 078.23.
SGS Circular Economy Services
SGS comprehensive solutions to help businesses move towards a circular economy. With an unrivalled global network of laboratories, they offer physical/mechanical testing, analytical testing and consultancy work for technical and non-technical parameters applicable to a comprehensive range of consumer products. In the end, it’s only trusted because it’s tested. Learn more about SGS’s Circular Economy Services.
SGS SafeGuardS keep you up to date with the latest news and developments in the consumer goods industry. Read the full France: the ban on plastic packaging for fruits and vegetables is back in force SafeGuardS.
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For further information contact:
Marine Dessaigne
Circular Economy and CSR Project Manager
Tel: +33 0675195046
Email: cp.media@sgs.com
Website: www.sgs.com/cp
LinkedIn: SGS Connectivity & Products
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