Biodegradable disposable tableware

Biodegradable will soon be an obligation!
Reminder of the Egalim Law

Promulgation of Law No. 2015-992 of August 17, 2015 provides for the upcoming end of the availability of disposable kitchen cups, glasses and plates for the table made of plastic, except those compostable in domestic composting and made up, for all or part, of biosourced materials (C. envir., art. L. 541-10-5).
Since the decree of August 30, 2016 which appeared in the official journal of August 31, 2016, a date is in all the minds of manufacturers, importers, distributors but also customers.
That of January 1, 2020.
Article 28 of 2018 supplements the EGAlim law:
This date is in fact the final date on the ban on the provision of disposable plastic tableware (cups, cutlery, glasses, plates, etc.) as we know it today.
=> Ban on the use of water bottles no later than January 1, 2020
plastic plate (in school catering);
=> Ban, no later than January 1, 2020, on the provision for payment or free of charge of straws, cutlery, steak picks, disposable glass lids, meal trays, ice cream pots, salad bowls, boxes and mixing sticks for drinks made of plastic
=> Ban, no later than January 1, 2025, on plastic cooking, heating and serving food containers in the catering of schools, universities and reception establishments for children under 6 years old (January 1, 2028 for CT < 2,000 inhabitants)
Measures to combat food waste:
=>Art 62: “doggy bag” obligation in commercial catering from July 1, 2021;

Alternatives to biodegradable disposable tableware

Certainly alternatives exist in terms of materials such as sugar cane fiber, wood, PLA made from corn starch.
However, to this day the prices of these products remain on average much higher than those of plastics.
There will therefore be a problem of cost for users but also of budget for communities or professionals including this type of service in their service.
We are thinking in particular of takeaway sales.
It is also necessary to distinguish the notions of biodegradable, compostable or recyclable which do not cover the same characteristics in terms of waste and/or recycling.
The notion of strict biodegradable includes the ability to decompose without effects on the natural environment.
The concept of compostable covers materials which, under the effect of micro-organisms, humidity or heat, will degrade naturally like a plant, for example, to become humus.
Please note there are two OK compost standards. The “OK compost HOME” and the “Ok compost INDUSTRIAL EN13432”
The notion of recyclable will relate to products that can be put back into the raw material chain in the production cycle after having been recycled as long as they have been recovered, sorted, etc.