Macron versus McDonald’s: how France ditched disposable food packaging

The item proving a hit with McDonald’s customers in France this winter is not a new burger or chicken wrap, but a bright red, rubber container in which french fries are served.

The US-based multinational introduced the reusable packaging to comply with a new French law that bans fast food and casual dining outlets from using disposable packaging and cutlery for customers who eat in their restaurants.

The french fries containers are so popular that customers have started taking them home as souvenirs. President Emmanuel Macron helped drive the craze when he tweeted a photo of the McDonald’s packaging to vaunt his government’s initiative, which took effect in January.

Theft of reusable packaging has been one of several teething problems faced by businesses as they implement France’s “anti-waste” law, which was the first of its kind in Europe and one that Brussels now wants to implement across the EU. Others include figuring out how to wash, dry and store the tableware, retraining staff and absorbing additional costs that can run to €15,000 per store if new dishwashers are needed.

Some executives also doubt the law will deliver any real environmental benefit and argue it will lead to higher carbon emissions and energy use.

For Stéphane Klein, Europe managing director at UK-based sandwich chain Pret A Manger, the disposal packaging ban has helped raise awareness about the need to reduce waste, but it has been “very complex” to put into practice in its French shops.

“What seems like a simple change is actually quite demanding and expensive to do,” he said. “It has taken us more than a year to test different approaches to figure out what will work.”

Under the new system, Pret employees must package its sandwiches, salads and soups in two versions — disposable paper and plastic for takeaway and glass bowls with rubber covers for customers who are eating in.

Customers at a Pret outlet in Paris are still getting used to the changes. On a recent visit, Karine Alliot stood in front of the fridges looking perplexed when her usual order — shrimp and avocado salad — was only available in the glass bowl for eat-in dining because the takeaway version had sold out.

“I wanted to get it to take away since I’m in a rush, but I guess I’ll get a sandwich instead,” she said.

La loi anti-gaspillage, ce n’est pas seulement la fin des pailles en plastique. Observez autour de vous : en France, les changements sont à l’œuvre pour faire évoluer nos modes de consommation et réduire nos déchets. On pousse pour le faire au niveau mondial. Changeons la donne ! https://t.co/sd0YRRv1ko

— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) November 20, 2022

The ban on disposable packaging is one of the most visible parts of much broader environmental legislation passed by Macron’s government in 2020. It included hundreds of new requirements such as reducing and eventually phasing out single-use plastic packaging by 2040, as well as promoting recycling and the re-use of products.

“The end of single-use tableware is one more step in the fight against unnecessary waste,” said environment minister Christophe Bechu. “It is a concrete measure that will remind the French in their daily lives of the importance of the environment.”

But as the law takes effect, some executives are voicing concerns not only about the practical and financial challenges of introducing reusable plates and cutlery, but also whether the switch will benefit the environment by reducing waste and energy usage.

The paper packaging industry, which stands to lose market share if such reusable tableware becomes the norm, has been particularly critical. It argue that its disposable paper products, such as laminated cardboard coffee cups or sandwich wrappers, are more environmentally friendly than reusable glass or plastic equivalents over the entire lifecycle from manufacturing to disposal. Such paper packaging can often be recycled, whereas reusable rubber or plastic tableware cannot.

According to a study by the European Paper Packaging Alliance (EPPA), the additional energy and water required to wash and dry reusable plates and cutlery in industrial-grade machines means that they generate 2.8 times more carbon emissions than paper-based, single-use systems. They also consume 3.4 times more water.

The loss, damage or theft of restaurants’ reusable packaging also means their environmental benefits can be overestimated, according to EPPA. “Activist groups are waging a war against single-use packaging, but paper does not have the same harms,” said Eric Le Lay, president of EPPA and an executive at Huhtamäki, a Finnish paper-packaging company.

The new rules may also increase food waste. Pret said it was now throwing away more food because unsold meals packaged in glass bowls could not be donated to charities.

Despite the concerns, the European Commission looks set to take inspiration from France. A draft version of a new regulation on packaging and packaging waste issued in November included a similar ban on disposable packaging in restaurants. The proposed regulation must be agreed by member states and parliament, so would probably not take effect until 2025 at the earliest.

Some industry executives argue that the impact of the French change should be evaluated first. “We are concerned about this approach being expanded at the European level because it’s not the best solution to the environment,” said Le Lay.

Another lobbyist was less charitable: “They’re going to make the same dumb mistakes as in France, but it’ll be everywhere.” 

In France, some business owners have embraced the requirement to use real plates and cutlery as a way to mark their green credentials with consumers.

Antoine Barat, co-founder of Eat Salad, said its 60 outlets in France were already serving their made-to-order salads in big glass bowls to fit in with the brand’s sustainable messaging. To comply with the new law, their soups and desserts are also now served in reusable packaging.

“The biggest challenge was pulling this off in a year when there was a lot of pressure already with rising food and energy prices and labour shortages,” he said.

Barat offered a tip for food retailers making the shift: “Switch to transparent trash bags so employees can fish out all the plates and forks that people throw away!”