2023 will mark the end of plastic packaging for fruit and vegetables in Spain.

Fruits and vegetables wrapped in a plastic container or wrapped in polystyrene or plastic packaging soon belong to the past in Spain while the country is preparing to implement a complete ban on fruit and vegetables wrapped in plastic to by 2023.

The environmental information platform EcoWatch reported last week: “Products wrapped in plastic will be banned in Spain from 2023, according to a decree being drafted by the Ministry of Ecological Transition. "

A spokesperson for the ministry told the Spanish news agency El País: “We want to tackle the overuse of packaging in the most efficient way. "

He added that plastic pollution "had exceeded all limits" . The Ministry of Ecological Transition says plastic packaging in Spain generates 1.6 million tonnes of plastic waste every year, less than half of which is recycled.

EcoWatch says: “The plastic waste used to wrap fruits and vegetables has been fought by environmental groups in Spain and abroad. Spain's move also follows French law that banned plastic wrap on fruit and vegetables, which will come into effect in January 2022. "

Julio Barea of Greenpeace said he agreed with the ban, but added that it would be important to see "how it is enforced". Barea, who calls plastic pollution a “pandemic,” says the Spanish government is not acting fast enough “to radically end the flow of plastic pollution. We drink plastic, we eat plastic, and we breathe plastic. "

According to El País, the new legislation will also contain measures to encourage the purchase of bulk, unpackaged products and non-bottled water. “The ban on fruit and vegetable packaging will apply to products weighing less than 1.5 kg, in accordance with similar legislation in France. "

One of the main goals of the new legislation is to halve the sale of plastic beverage bottles by 2030 and ensure that 100% of packaging on the market is recyclable, sources told El Country.

According to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) which takes the South African market for example: “There has been an increase of more than 50% of processed and packaged foods available and consumed in South Africa since 1994.

In 2017 alone, the South African crisps market grew by 10.4%, adding to the 1,600 tonnes of plastic packaging waste generated in South Africa each year due to one billion dollars. units of crisps, cookies and chocolates sold in formal retail markets nationwide. "