France will ban plastic packaging for almost all fruits and vegetables from January 2022 in a bid to reduce plastic waste, the environment ministry said on Monday.

By implementing a February 2020 law, the government published a list of about 30 fruits and vegetables that must be sold without plastic packaging as of January 1. The list includes leeks, eggplants, and round tomatoes, as well as apples, bananas, and oranges.

“We use an outrageous amount of single-use plastic in our daily lives. The circular economy law aims to reduce the use of disposable plastic and encourage its substitution by other reusable and recyclable materials or packaging," the ministry said in a statement.

He estimated that 37% of fruits and vegetables are sold with packaging and expects the measure to avoid more than one billion useless plastic containers per year.

The president of the French federation of fruit sellers, Francois Roch, said that switching to cardboard will be difficult in such a short time.

“In addition, selling products in bulk is complicated as many customers touch the fruit and people don't want other customers to touch their fruit,” he said.

The packaging ban is part of a multi-year government program to phase out plastic. Starting in 2021, France banned plastic straws, cups and cutlery, as well as Styrofoam take-out boxes.

Cut fruits and a limited amount of delicate fruits and vegetables can still be sold in plastic packaging for now, but that will be phased out by the end of June 2026.

Plastic packaging will be banned by the end of June 2023 for cherry tomatoes, green beans and peaches, and by the end of 2024 for endives, asparagus, mushrooms, some salads and herbs, as well as cherries.

By the end of June 2026, raspberries, strawberries, and other delicate berries should be sold without plastic.

Starting in 2022, public spaces must provide water sources to reduce the use of plastic bottles; Press and advertising publications must be shipped without plastic wrap, while fast food restaurants can no longer offer free plastic toys.

Starting in January 2023, France will also ban disposable tableware in fast food restaurants for meals eaten locally.