PLASTIC WASTE
Tax breaks and price cuts: how France plans to make recycling cheaper
Paris — France plans to make bottles produced with recycled plastic cheaper than bottles made from virgin plastic and will tighten regulation on plastics use, a government minister says. Junior Environment Minister Brune Poirson said an increase in taxes on landfill and a reduction of value-added tax on recycling activities were also planned. This would be a boost for French recycling firms such as Veolia and Suez, which have called for such measures. In order to channel more plastic waste to recycling, France would introduce a discount-premium system worth up to 10% of the price of a product in order to encourage consumers to recycle, Poirson said. "Tomorrow, when there is a choice between two bottles, one made with recycled plastic, the other not, the first one will be cheaper," she said, without giving an implementation timeline. In 2016, France banned plastic straws, cups and plates from 2020, but has since rejected proposals to introduce a deposit on plastic bottles. Reuters
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