For Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, this measure taken by a government would be a “world first.”
The destruction of non-food items (clothing, household appliances, hygiene or beauty products, etc.), one of the emblematic cases of waste, will be banned within two to four years in France, announced Tuesday, June 4, 2019, the Prime Minister. Minister Edouard Philippe.
This measure, presented as a “world first” by the head of the government, aims to impose to give these products or to recycle them, from the end of 2021 or the end of 2023 as the case may be, in addition to the measures already adopted in recent years against food waste.
In a bill introduced in July
Today, more than 650 million euros of new and unsold non-food products are discarded or destroyed each year, five times more than donations of these same products, according to Matignon.
“This is a shocking waste, which shocks the mind (…) a scandalous waste,” said Philippe, came to announce the extent CDiscount a store in the 11 th arrondissement of Paris.
EN DIRECT | Déclaration du Premier ministre @EPhilippePM sur la lutte contre le gaspillage. https://t.co/FodTLMM8X1
— Gouvernement (@gouvernementFR) 4 June 2019
The measure, “which will consist in the prohibition of the disposal of unsold, new or in general”, will figure in the bill on the circular economy prepared by the Secretary of State Brune Poirson, which must arrive in Council of ministers in July, he said.
“It will be a world first”, boasted the head of the government, when the executive wants to convince of its action in the field of ecology and meet the environmental expectations of the French, illustrated by a boost of the ecologist vote during the last European.
“The ultimate idea is that there are no more unsold”
According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the measure will apply from the end of 2021 for products with a collection and recycling system called “REP”. And end 2023 “at the latest” for others.
The destruction of products is widespread among both large retailers and luxury brands who see it as a way to protect intellectual property and prevent counterfeiting.
According to Matignon, amenities are planned especially for the luxury sector, which is concerned to see emerge a parallel market with products sold off. But the new product must in all cases be recycled and not destroyed or landfilled.
Certain products that are no longer usable after a certain date, such as foundation, may also be subject to exceptions.
“The ultimate idea is that there is no more unsold, with better inventory management,” according to a consultant.
