France’s long-planned ban on plastic throwaway cups has been put on ice—again—after the government admitted it is still struggling to find something better to drink from.
The ban, due to take effect on January 1, has now been delayed by four years to 2030, according to the French ministry for ecological transition, which cited the “technical feasibility” of eliminating plastic from cups. In other words, the cups turned out to be harder to replace than expected.
An official decree said the government will conduct yet another review in 2028 to assess “progress made” in finding alternatives, before the ban finally kicks in at the start of the next decade. Companies will then be given a further 12 months to clear out any remaining stock—while officials check once more whether paper, bamboo, or pure optimism can safely hold hot coffee.
The postponement comes despite France’s long campaign against single-use plastics, driven by environmental pressure over pollution in rivers and oceans. A 2020 law set the ambitious goal of eliminating all single-use plastics by 2040, while earlier bans—such as restrictions on plastic bags for fruit and vegetables—have already reshaped supermarket life.
Yet enforcement has proved less straightforward. France’s consumer protection authority, DGCCRF, reported last year that nearly one in five companies inspected in 2023 were still breaking plastic-use rules. Inspectors found products advertised as “plastic-free” that were anything but, as well as creative rebranding efforts designed to sidestep existing bans.
For now, French consumers can continue sipping from plastic cups—secure in the knowledge that the ban is still coming, just not quite as soon as promised.
