Context of fruit and vegetable packaging in france
In 2018, according to the Kantar panel survey (12,000 households were monitored, representative of the French population), it appears that overall, 37% of fruits and vegetables are purchased in packaged form. Although packaged volumes have remained stable over time, this proportion has increased at the expense of the proportion of fruits and vegetables sold loose for reasons of convenience for the consumer, information and better maintenance of the quality of packaged products during the supply chain.
In France, the law on the fight against waste and the circular economy, adopted on February 10, 2020, known as the Agec1 law (No. 2020-105), sets the framework for objectives in the fruit and vegetable sector. From January 1st, 2022, it prohibits the use of packaging made entirely or partially from plastic for fruits and vegetables sold in portions under 1.5kg, apart from a few exceptions. Only whole fresh premium quality fruits and vegetables are concerned. The exceptions for fruits and vegetables will be specified in a forthcoming decree and will concern species presenting a significant risk of deterioration when sold loose.