France wants to significantly increase the collection and recycling rates for plastic packaging. To this end, the government is proposing a regional and voluntary deposit system for plastic bottles. There are to be no plans for a nationwide deposit scheme.
The background is the comparatively low recycling and collection rates in France. According to government figures, a mere 25.7 percent of plastic packaging was recycled in 2024. For plastic bottles, the collection rate stood at 58.3 percent. France must therefore step up its efforts to meet the European targets of 55 percent recycling for plastic packaging by 2030 and 90 percent collection of plastic bottles by 2029.
Significant regional variations in collection
The French government points to significant differences between the regions. Around 230 association of municipalities, with a total of more than eleven million inhabitants, already achieve a collection rate for plastic bottles of at least 77 percent. These include, in particular, rural areas.
In contrast, the rate in around 45 municipal associations with a population of more than 14 million is below 35 per cent. Urban areas are said to be primarily affected by this.
According to the government's assessment, a uniform deposit scheme for the whole of France would also change existing collection structures in regions that are already achieving good results. Therefore, a different approach is to be pursued.
Deposit scheme for voluntary municipalities only
The government proposes introducing a deposit scheme exclusively in local authorities and municipal associations that participate voluntarily. The focus is to be in particular on areas with low collection rates. A mandatory national deposit scheme is expressly not planned.
The exact design is still open. The government, local authorities, industry, the recycling sector and municipal associations are to continue talks on the implementation of the French plastics plan.
Alongside better collection, the plastics plan is intended to drive the eco-design of packaging, expand industrial sorting and recycling capacities, and boost reuse.
„Our responsibility is to choose solutions that work – area by area – without penalising local authorities that have already achieved very good results,“ explained Mathieu Lefèvre, Minister for Ecological Transition.
Source: Ministries for Ecological Transition, Spatial Planning, Transport, Urbanism and Housing
