The state of play when it comes to the future of single-use food packaging really isn’t as clear as it could be.

In Europe, it seemed as if the whole of the continent was set to follow France’s lead and implement far stricter measures than are currently in place.

But, significant lobbying and pushback by industry heavyweights including McDonald’s and the European Paper Packaging Alliance appear to have had an impact on the European Parliament, who have already softened their stance when it comes to certain key provisions.

In England, the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs last month introduced regulations which stipulated that businesses must no longer supply, sell or offer certain single-use plastic items. 

Anyone who doesn’t fall in line, can face punishment by way of a fine.

So, what is to come and where does the industry go from here?

On closer inspection, the waters only seem to get muddier.

In France, for example, people dining in fast food restaurants since January have been served drinks and fries in reusable plastic receptacles instead of single-use cups and cartons.

A recent report published by POLITICO revealed that customers it had interviewed about the aforementioned changes were either positive or unbothered by the move to reusable packaging, while McDonalds’ own website claims that 83 percent of surveyed diners ‘approved of the implementation of the new tableware at McDonald’s France.’

That all sounds very positive, but in practice, for the food outlets themselves, the transition hasn’t been so smooth. Reported teething problems and concerns include the fact that many of these reusable vessels and containers are still being thrown away by consumers due to habit or carelessness, and the fact that collecting in and having to wash the new plastic items is more labour-intensive and time consuming.

In addition, there are concerns that rewashing these tablewares will lead to an increase in costs through energy and water usage and the need for dishwashers. 

According to Matti Rantanen, director general of the European Paper Packaging Alliance, the Tritan plastic that many of France’s reusable receptacles are made of is ‘a fossil-fuel product and consumes huge amounts of energy in the production process. It is also not recycled.’

Rantanen goes on to opine that ‘while no doubt drafted with good intentions’, reliance on these new reusable products is actually ‘guaranteed to increase plastic pollution’, which, he says, is ‘bad news for France’s wildlife, waterways, beaches and streets.’

There is also the small matter of a projected cost of 20 billion Euros, which one report backed by McDonald’s claims will need to be invested should European Parliament’s proposed reuse legislation be adopted.

The fact that representatives of an industry which is set to suffer if the whole continent follows France’s example have a vested interest in this matter cannot be ignored. But that does not mean that there is no weight behind the argument that recyclables remain a better alternative to renewables.

For those green-minded factions on the other side of the argument, the fear is that if Brussels cedes to the pressure which it has found itself under, then a diluted version of what was initially expected will undermine the progress made in France.

The pro-reusable argument is that Europe cannot recycle its way out of its current predicament, with the levels of waste currently being generated already unsustainable. There is an insistence that a significant impact will not be felt if Parliament does not front up and take a hard line.

There are of course two sides to the coin and in business, practicality and cost cannot be fully discounted in favour of doing the ‘right thing’.

But, consider the long game. People may well be throwing reusable containers out with the rubbish now, but they will get used to any changes to the dining-out experience in time. 

And we do all have a responsibility when it comes to sustainability and the environment. Not only this, but from a PR perspective, there will be plenty to judge negatively those who are not seeking to at least take some steps towards making their operations greener.

It’s better to take a proactive approach in situations such as these, stay ahead of the curve and be, or at least look like, a trailblazer rather than an organisation or business that has failed to move with the times.

It might also be prudent to assess your options, make plans and source suppliers or manufacturers of reusable products now before demand inevitably increases and the price of the goods which you need is hiked significantly.