Historically France may not have had the best environmental record but huge strides are now being made, via recycling initiatives and campaigns to utilise materials that have the least possible environmental or ecological impact. In my commune, each household has been provided with three bins: a black one with a burgundy lid for waste that can’t be recycled (Tuesdays and Fridays), a black one with a yellow lid for recyclables excluding glass (Wednesdays), 58
Cibare Food Magazine
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PICTURE CREDITS: Gillian Balcome
gently gathering them up. And the quality of and a large green one for all your garden/ the produce is excellent. green waste (every Thursday except during the winter when it’s collected every other Yes their prepared fresh fruit and vegetables week). We’re very much used to collecting come in plastic boxes, their fish is vacuum food scraps too, eitherto supplement the packed in plastic and they still use plastic diet of one’s chickens if you have them, or to tubs for your loose dried fruits, nuts, olives compost for the garden. Glass still has to be and the like, although hopefully that too will recycled at the communal points, which are change. However the majority of these numerous, and then there’s the local plastics are recyclable and all food stores déchetterie or tip, where you can dispose and supermarkets here are doing their best of larger items in the same way as the UK. to up their game on this issue: if you are There are recycling points in all the larger perchance given a plastic bag, it encourages supermarkets and in shopping centres for you to re-use it and not to drop it ‘dans la batteries, light bulbs of various types, nature’ with a simple, printed message. The printer ink cartridges and so on. The best known French frozen food chain, Picard, result of all this is that France now recycles now sells insulated double bags made out of or incinerates 65% of its waste, one of only cotton rather than plastic – and very six European countries to achieve a figure efficient they are too. And the majority of greater than 50%. Sure there’s more work to supermarkets, such as Leclerc and Auchun, be done, but if every individual, every now sell items like grains, pulses, nuts, manufacturer, every retailer and every muesli – even Bombay mix and other snacks! government does their bit, one step at a time – loose from banks of dispensers that pour we’ll make the progress we so desperately the required amount of product into a need! (recyclable) bag, alongside the pre-packaged goods. It’s also worth mentioning traditional French markets here. Locally produced fruit and veg, honey, jams, cheeses, salamis, olives and much more are available from nearby producers, helping the environment by reducing carbon footprints and enabling the local, individual producers themselves to remain in business.