Bottles of water, packaged fruit, decline in bulk: plastic remains « ubiquitous » in French supermarkets, according to a report published on Tuesday by the associations Que Choisir Ensemble and No Plastic In My Sea.
The survey was conducted between February 7 and 21 in 1,659 stores belonging to 11 brands, including E.Leclerc, Carrefour, Intermarché, Lidl, Monoprix or Biocoop and Naturalia. The associations specify that several distributors also answered a questionnaire, « often » partially.
Water and beverage bottles concentrate « nearly 40% of single-use plastics »
According to the report, the 20% reduction in single-use plastic packaging planned by the end of 2025 has not been achieved. However, this decrease is included in the Agec law, promulgated in 2020, which provides for the gradual disappearance of these packaging by 2040. However, the authors point out that organic brands appear « in advance » on the subject.
Bottles of water and drinks focus a large part of the critics. They would represent « nearly 40% of the single-use plastics » present in supermarket shelves.
The report also points out that bottled water sales increased by 3.3% in 2025, according to Circana data cited by NGOs. This increase comes as the Agec law provides for a 50% reduction in plastic bottles by 2030.
Bulk in retreat, overpackaging, pre-cut fresh fruit… the mania of the all-packed in the supermarket
In the fruit and vegetable department, the associations were interested in several products such as potatoes, oranges, apples, carrots and tomatoes. In traditional stores, 60% of these non-organic and « non-fragile » products are still sold packaged, most often under plastic. For organic products, this share rises to 91%, half of which are in plastic.
NGOs also denounce a « negarious emerging trend« : the multiplication of pre-cut fresh fruits and vegetables sold in packaging. They also point out the « nead decline » of bulk, a still « embryonic » recourse to the reuse of packaging and the persistence of overpackaging practices.
Faced with these findings, the report makes several recommendations to distributors and the government. The associations demand in particular the abandonment of plastics deemed unnecessary and the maintenance of the objectives set by the Agec law.
For its part, the Federation of Trade and Distribution calls for an « downward trend » of plastic rather than a one-time inventory. Its director of sustainable development, Philippe Joguet, believes that the « efforts deployed » will allow the sector « to be there in 2030 ».
source : mes infos
