climate change

France Says Au Revoir to Plastic Forks and Plates

Good riddance. Photo: Image Source/Getty Images

Picnics in Paris will never be the same: In a bid to battle climate change, France will ban the use of plastic cutlery and tableware if they’re not made from biological materials. The move is part of an initiative called the Energy Transition for Green Growth, and the law will go into effect in 2020 — unless Big Plastic thwarts it first.

The ban has already been met with opposition by Pack2Go Europe, a Brussels organization that represents European packaging manufacturers. The group’s secretary general, Eamonn Bates, tells The Telegraph that the ban could actually make things worse because the French will think the plastic is biodegradable and it’s okay to leave forks and spoons all over the place, which sounds a bit like grasping at straws (which, so far, are still allowed in France.)

France Will Ban Plastic Forks and Plates