Environmental impacts of bags used for packaging goods

RDC Environment assessed the environmental impacts of different types of goods bags, excluding checkout bags, on behalf of ADEME. 

 The end of single-use plastic bags 

n France, since January 2017, with the law on energy transition for green growth (LTECV), goods bags distributed at points of sale, excluding checkout bags, which are not compostable at home and not reusable, are prohibited. Typically, the law targets small, thin bags used to package loose fruit and vegetables. 

A comparative life cycle analysis

In 2019, ADEME commissioned RDC Environment to carry out a comparative LCA of the environmental impacts of eight types of shopping bags used in this context, with the aim of determining the best solutions from an environmental point of view and under what conditions. In practice, a large part of this study was devoted to the study of bio-based plastics.