French push to ban small plastic bottles gains support
A draft bill has emerged in the French parliament proposing banning drinks sold in small-capacity plastic bottles. Why is drinking from plastic a bad idea?
24 October 2024 14:48
A French politician has called for a ban on selling small plastic water bottles, describing them as a "complete absurdity" and "environmental nonsense." Pierre Cazeneuve, a President Emmanuel Macron's Renaissance party member, presented a bill proposal this week that could end water bottles smaller than 1 pint.
Small plastic bottles are "absurd"
Cazeneuve justified the need for legislative change by stating that drinks in small plastic bottles are absurd because they "contain 20-25 grams of plastic for just three or four sips of water." The bill does not propose limiting the sale of water in larger plastic bottles.
We have repeatedly highlighted the issues associated with drinks, especially water, being sold in plastic bottles for several reasons. Firstly, these containers constitute the largest portion of plastic waste, under which land and oceans are suffocating. Recycling plastic packaging is mainly greenwashing, as each subsequent "generation" of already-produced plastic is of diminishing quality and ultimately ends up in landfills.
Secondly, by drinking from plastic, we introduce millions of its micro-particles into our bodies. An increasing number of studies indicate links between these pollutants and heart disease, lung issues, and other serious health concerns.
The French bill still has a long legislative path, but it has social support. A recent survey conducted by OpinionWay for the non-governmental organisations Zero Waste France and No Plastic in My Sea showed that about two-thirds of people in the country would support such a ban.
