French fast-food chains are preparing for one of their biggest changes in decades as the government bans anyone from using disposable plates, cups and cutlery when eating or drinking on site.
Starting on New Year's Day, chains such as McDonald's, Burger King, Starbucks and Subway are facing what environmentalists are calling a "revolution" as France begins groundbreaking new measures to combat waste. Much of the fast-food industry uses an economic model based on single-use boxes, cups and packaging that customers dump directly from their trays into the trash after eating.
Under the new regulations, any restaurant with more than 20 seats—including employee cafeterias, chain bakeries, fast food restaurants, and sushi bars—must provide reusable, washable cups, plates, and cutlery for diners. France's approximately 30,000 fast-food restaurants serve six billion meals annually, generating an estimated 180,000 tons of waste. Environmental groups say 55% of this waste is generated by diners.
The law only applies to cutlery used by customers when dining in. Anyone ordering takeout, such as McDonald's, will continue to receive disposable packaging. However, environmental groups hope that disposable takeout packaging will also be changed in the future, such as by allowing customers to leave a deposit for reusable packaging and return it.
The new laws mean burgers and sandwiches eaten inside can no longer be packed in boxes, but can continue to be wrapped in paper. All other food - including chips, chicken nuggets, pizza, ice cream or cake - must be served on reusable cutlery, and drinks must be served in reusable cups and washed at 60 degrees Celsius, like in traditional restaurants.
Several McDonald's restaurants recently installed reusable plastic french fry containers that look identical to the company's traditional red, single-use packaging. Burger King has trialed reusable bowls and cups bearing the company's logo. A challenge for many fast-food restaurants has been finding space for dishwashers to clean cups and plates, and staffing to prevent customers from throwing them away or taking them home. Some young customers have expressed concerns about the cleanliness of reusable cups and prefer to take out.
Source: The Guardianhttps://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/dec/28/france-ban-on-single-use-restaurant-tableware-hailed-as-fast-food-revolution?CMP=share_btn_link）
