France moves toward national plastic deposit scheme

French Minister of Ecological Transition Agnès Pannier‑Runacher is convening industry, local authorities, NGOs and retailers to discuss a national deposit‑return system for plastic beverage containers. The proposal is intended to help France meet EU recycling targets of 77% collection by 2025 and 90% by 2029, after current rates stalled at about 26% for all plastic packaging and 57% for bottles.

The government’s plastic plan outlines twelve levers, with the deposit scheme earmarked to become operational on 1 January 2029. Officials are weighing financial impacts on municipalities that have invested heavily in sorting infrastructure, and may offer compensatory aid to high‑performing local authorities. The discussion reflects broader goals of the AGEC law to boost secondary raw material supplies and achieve a circular economy for plastics.