What does France’s loi AGEC mean for disposable plates?

Which law bans single-use plastic tableware in France?

The main one is loi n° 2020-105 of 10 February 2020 on waste and the circular economy, known as loi AGEC (anti-gaspillage pour une économie circulaire). Most of its rules now sit in the Code de l’environnement. It built on an earlier ban on plastic cups and plates and on the EU Single-Use Plastics Directive.

The EU rules sit underneath all of this. Our page on the EU Single-Use Plastics Directive explains why an uncoated areca plate is not a plastic product.

The plastic ban also reaches plates that are only partly plastic, such as card plates with a plastic film. That matters for leaf plates as well. An areca plate with a PLA or plastic lining is a different product in law from an uncoated one, so ask any supplier in writing whether their plates carry a coating. Ours carry none.

Can restaurants in France still use disposable plates?

For meals eaten inside, mostly not. Article L541-15-10 III says that restaurants must serve meals and drinks consumed on the premises with reusable cups, plates, containers and cutlery. The implementing decree applies it to places able to serve at least 20 people at the same time, indoors or on a terrace.

This is the point many suppliers skip, so I will be plain about it. The rule is about reuse, not plastic. A palm leaf plate is a single-use plate, so a burger chain cannot hand it to a customer eating at the table. If a French distributor is planning to sell palm leaf into fast-food dine-in, that channel closed in 2023. Each restaurant that breaks the rule risks an administrative fine of up to 15,000 euros, plus 1,500 euros for every day it carries on.

Where can palm leaf plates still be sold in France?

Quite a lot of places. The reuse rule covers food eaten on the premises of a restaurant. It does not cover takeaway and delivery, small outlets that cannot serve 20 people at once, or retail packs bought for use at home.

Weddings, private parties, markets and catered events are a good fit for areca plates, and they look right on a buffet. Do not assume every event is outside the rule, though. A caterer, food truck or festival stand that serves 20 or more people eating on the spot can be treated like a restaurant for this purpose, so ask your customer to check with their adviser before they build a festival range around single-use plates. Our page on wedding and event catering covers the sizes caterers use most.

Can I print “biodégradable” or “compostable” on the pack in France?

Not “biodégradable”. Article L541-9-1 of the Code de l’environnement, which came from article 13 of loi AGEC, forbids the words “biodégradable”, “respectueux de l’environnement” and any equivalent wording on a product or its packaging. The Conseil d’État rejected a challenge to this rule on 31 May 2024, so it is settled French law. Vague green claims such as “vert” are treated the same way.

“Compostable” is a narrower question, and the strictest limits in the article are aimed at plastic packaging. My advice for a French white-label pack is to state facts the buyer can check: the material (feuille d’aréquier), that it has no coating, and the test it passed. Our plates are EN 13432 tested and passed. Have your French adviser read the artwork before you send it to us for printing.

Do palm leaf plates come under French packaging EPR?

Sometimes. France runs extended producer responsibility schemes for packaging through approved eco-organismes, of which Citeo is the best known. A plate counts as packaging when it is designed to be filled at the point of sale, such as a plate a takeaway fills for a customer. A retail pack of plates sold for home use is a product, but its pack and cartons are packaging.

So the importer or brand owner who first places the goods on the French market should register with the right eco-organisme for the channel and declare the packaging. Our Citeo glossary entry has the basics.

What documents does a French importer need from the supplier?

French buyers ask for the same core file as the rest of the EU. We send it by email on request:

• A food-contact test report under Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004. Ours is an LFGB report, and our palm leaf tableware is tested to LFGB standards and confirmed compliant.
• The EN 13432 test report, if you plan to say anything about compostability.
• ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certificates from TÜV India, and the amfori BSCI audit.
• Commercial invoice, packing list and bill of lading for customs, with goods shipped FOB New Mangalore Port.