France pays 1.2 billion euros in "plastic tax" to the EU, and the recycling rate of plastic packaging is only 28%

France lags far behind its European counterparts when it comes to recycling plastic packaging, and even had to pay the EU a hefty fine last year
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According to the forecast of the French Ministry of Finance, this situation will continue for some time to come
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A woman walks past an advertisement for a discounted season on the streets of Paris, France, on January 12
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(Image source: Xinhua News Agency)

France's 'bill' for recycling plastic packaging is huge

The French newspaper Les Echos reported that in 2021, France’s “bills” for recycling plastic packaging will be considerable
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France paid the European Union (EU) 1.
2 billion euros in a "plastic tax" last year, according to figures in the public administration's accounts published by the French National Institute for Statistics and Economic Research (INSEE)
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The "plastic tax", also known as the "plastic packaging tax", was introduced in January 2021 as part of new revenue from the EU budget
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It is one of the new "revenue sources" designed by Brussels to "open source and reduce expenditure" to deal with the impact of the new crown pneumonia epidemic and to finance its recovery plan, and it is also the first plan to be implemented
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Back in 2018, the European Union decided to tax single-use plastic packaging
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Statistics show that the EU produces about 26 million tons of plastic waste every year, of which less than 30% are recycled, and the rest are mostly incinerated or dumped into landfills.
More waste flows into rivers and oceans, causing serious pollution to the environment
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In July 2020, the EU Extraordinary Summit approved the EU's 2021-2027 budget and announced the introduction of a "plastic packaging tax" from January 1, 2021
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The tax, paid by member states, is calculated based on the amount of non-recyclable plastic packaging waste generated in the country over a 12-month period, with a base rate of 800 euros per ton
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According to previous media estimates, according to the current tax rate, the EU can add 4 billion to 8 billion euros in tax revenue each year
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France accumulated around 1.
5 million tonnes of household and non-household plastic waste in 2021
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French plastic recycling rate is only 28%

On a European scale, France's performance in plastic waste recycling has been mediocre
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According to Citeo, the ecological organization responsible for recycling, less than a quarter (28%) of plastic packaging is recycled in France, compared to half in Germany and Spain
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As a result, France is currently one of the largest contributors to this tax in the whole of Europe
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This situation will continue for some time, but it will gradually improve
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With the implementation of several new measures in France's Anti-Pollution and Circular Economy Law from 2022, from 2023, the "plastic tax" that France should pay will be slightly reduced - 1.
1 billion euros, according to the Ministry of Budget.

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The French government also made it clear that a "plastic packaging tax" could be a booster for France to accelerate plastic recycling efforts
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Macron's government has pledged to increase the recycling rate of plastic waste to 100% by 2025, and aims to become the top country in the field of household-generated plastic packaging recycling by the end of the century
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In 2021, the Elysee Palace announced the "France 2030" investment plan, of which 300 million euros will be used to obtain materials such as plastics, metals, rare earths and to develop recycling technologies for these materials
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Nicolas Garnier, director general of Amorce, a non-profit organization dealing with waste, welcomed the announcement: "This investment is a very strong financial signal that the country will finally have a way to catch up in plastic packaging recycling
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" He also said "The state should first issue fines to producers and organisations that are still producing non-recyclable plastics," it noted
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