France to ban all plastic utensils for a greener future

France has woken up to the dangers of plastic pollution, as the country makes the firm decision to outlaw all plastic kitchen utensils, opting instead for more ecologically-friendly, biologically-sourced materials.

The law, to take hold in 2020, is part of an initiative called Energy Transition for Green Growth, France’s contribution to the fight against climate change.

Not everyone in the EU, however, sees this as a favorable strategy, according to the Independent.

Manufacturers of plastic goods are understandably incensed over the law. Pack2Go, a Brussels-based organization representing European packaging producers, spoke to the Independent.

"We are urging the European Commission to do the right thing and to take legal action against France for infringing European law,” Pack2Go Secretary-General Eamonn Bates said. According to him, there is no proof that something biologically-sourced is safer for the environment.

If anything, Bates says, the problem could be exacerbated. According to Bates, not everyone can tell biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste apart. “That’s nonsense!,” Bates added regarding France’s plan.

But France is not the only player trying to go green by cutting down on plastic. The state of Karnataka in India is another. In 2017, San Francisco, California outlawed the use of plastic shopping bags, and later did the same for plastic bottles in 2014, while Great Britain has a 5p charge on most plastic bags.