Starting in January 2023, all restaurants in France are required to use reusable dishes food and drink served in their restaurants - including fast food chains!

Photos from Miriam Gordon from the Story of Stuff - Miriam@StoryofStuff 

The regulation has created a total shift in how food is served - major fast food chains have developed and invested in the infrastructure that will see the prevention of waste for years to come: reusable dishes, collection sytstem and sanitizing dishwashers. 

Estimates say that the 30,000 fast food restaurants in France serve 6 billion meals a year. Previous bans on single-use plastic prompted fast food chains to simply shift to other single-use materials like bamboo and cardboard, not actually reducing waste.

France is leading the world in zero waste policies, with a strategy to tackle single-use plastic including bans on many single-use plastic items, unwrapping fresh produce, recycled content requirements and many more. 

Read more about France’s Anti-waste and Circular Economy Law - Ellen Macarthur Foundation case study