No generalized deposit for plastic bottles, says the government

There will be no instructions for recycling used plastic bottles, Minister of Ecological Transition Christophe Béchu decided on Wednesday during the waste conference in Nantes.

“We must be inflexible on the objectives, while being flexible on the means to achieve them,” affirmed the minister, who wishes to activate “other levers, recommended by Ademe” (Ecological Transition Agency) in order to boost the collection of all plastic packaging.

Among them, the strengthening of sorting in the streets and establishments open to the public, as well as the simplification of packaging sorting instructions. The deposit for plastic bottles “does not meet with the full support that we need today,” noted Christophe Béchu.

Since the vote on the law on the circular economy two years ago, and especially since the opening of a consultation on deposits in January, a pitched battle has pitted beverage and recycling manufacturers against local authorities managing recycling centers. sorting waste around the property of used bottles.

At the beginning of June, Paris was singled out by Brussels for its insufficient performance in terms of household waste management, especially in terms of plastic packaging. Around 22% of plastic packaging is collected and recycled in France, with a bottle collection rate peaking at 62%, according to the minister.

This figure “reflects enormous disparities from one region to another”, explained the minister during a press briefing, with “intercommunities at 90% and others at less than 30%”. A bonus-malus system which will reward the most efficient communities will be put in place, said the minister.