Against waste and for the circular economy: what the law provides for

The Act provides, inter alia:

At 1^er january 2021:

• unloading non-hazardous waste that can be recovered (for example, plastics, pallets, cartons, green waste, etc.) will be progressively banned;
• Aggressive advertising will be prohibited outside sales;
• new single-use plastic products will be banned: straws, small tubs, take-out cup lids, expanded polystyrene (kebab-type) boxes, steak spades, balloon stems, plastic confetti and all oxo-degradable plastic objects;
• Distributing plastic bottles in companies free of charge will be prohibited;
• beverages served in a reusable container presented by the consumer will be sold at a lower rate;
• large areas of more than 400 m² must provide reusable containers (free or for a fee);
• bulk merchants will have to accept the containers brought by the consumer;
• Placing advertising material on vehicles and distributing promotional gifts in mailboxes will be prohibited;
• a network of drinking water fountains will be created.

At 1^er July 2021:

• bring your own reusable containers will be possible in restaurants.

At 1^er January 2022:

• Plastic tea bags, plastic packaging for fruit and vegetables weighing less than 1.5 kg and plastic toys distributed free of charge in fast food outlets will be banned;
• establishments receiving the public will have to provide a water fountain;
• shipping newspapers or magazines in plastic packaging will be prohibited;
• labels on fruits and vegetables will be banned.

At 1^er january 2023:

• disposable crockery in fast food outlets will be prohibited for meals served on site.

Certain measures will be the subject of implementing decrees:

• improving information on the environmental qualities and characteristics of waste products;
• information on the repairability of certain electrical and electronic equipment (such as washing machines, vacuum cleaners or mowers);
• information on the availability or non-availability of spare parts for the repair of electrical, electronic and furniture equipment;
• inform consumers about the sorting procedure;
• destroying (incineration and landfill) new non-food unsold items (clothing, shoes, beauty products, etc.) will be prohibited to promote their reuse or recycling;
• instructions for re-use and re-use (including plastic bottles) will be put in place;
• deliver certain medicinal products to the unit (by 1^er July 2021);
• systematically print and distribute receipts and credit card receipts, unless otherwise requested by the customer will be prohibited (no later than 1^er January 2023).