“We will eliminate plastic from collective catering by 2026”, affirms Audrey Pulvar

Since 2017, one year before the EGALIM law, the city of Paris has set itself the task of removing plastic from municipal catering. Schools, nurseries, nursing homes, Emeraude restaurants, etc., 30 million meals are served each year in the city’s 1,300 establishments.

If the exit is already engaged, there is still a long way to go before getting rid of the plastic. The town hall is committed to the end of its term in 2026 and for this, Audrey Pulvar, deputy of Anne Hidalgo in charge of sustainable food, agriculture and short circuits will present to the Council of Paris, the week next, its strategic exit plan. She unveils it in preview at 20 minutes.

Four years after the start of Operation Zero Plastic, where are we today?

The operation is progressing well. After an in-depth inventory carried out in 2018 in all the collective restaurants in the city. We came to the conclusion that the presence of plastic in Parisian collective catering was generally moderate. But we have also identified areas for improvement. After the time needed to analyze the situation and the Covid which held us back, at the start of the year, we presented a “Paris without single-use plastic” plan to the Paris Council. Axis 2 of this overall plan consists of accelerating the elimination of plastic in canteens and collective catering in Paris.

You will present an action plan broken down into 22 points next week to the Paris Council. What’s he saying ?

This is a strategy, developed in consultation with all canteen managers directly concerned by this exit from plastic. There are a lot of things to take into account. We have set priorities. The first is to support agents in this transformation. They are the ones who will implement it. We have therefore decided to place a strong emphasis on team support, training and ergonomics.

Eliminating plastic equipment means replacing it with glass, stainless steel or porcelain. Materials that bring benefits for public health and the environment, but also new constraints. They are heavier, require more maintenance, new equipment… It is sometimes an additional burden in terms of weight and handling for the personnel. To avoid increased hardship, we need equipment at the level, rotations on the most targeted workstations, trained teams. But there are other technical solutions, which we are experimenting with. This plan supposes a change of practice, a change of equipment, new work habits, familiarization with new equipment. And it is out of the question that this is done in worry and stress for the agents.

What types of solutions are envisaged?

The possibilities are diverse. The managers of each district are multiplying the experiments and giving us feedback. We watch, try, compare, and some stand out. For example, in some schools in the 12th arrondissement, plastic has been removed from the trays. But a glass glass, a bowl or a porcelain plate, it weighs. They have therefore been replaced by a single tray, in stainless steel, honeycombed. No more plates, bowls… This represents 900 kg less handling per day for agents. It is a spectacular gain.

These changes of equipment entail a complete overhaul of the organization of work since they are not stored in the same way, are not thrown away …

This is the second axis of our plan. With the acquisition of stainless steel trays and bins, we are going to need washing tunnels which are designed to avoid the maximum load carrying to the agents. For example. We have found that some central kitchens are very aging and do not have the necessary equipment. We will take advantage of this change to update equipment. For some restaurants, these are trays and jugs, for others, it is the stainless steel containers that must be changed. The situations are very different and we have to adapt. This will be done gradually until 2026.

You say that experiments are multiplying, that means that in some cases, the alternative to plastic still does not exist?

In the vast majority, the alternatives are there, but it remains to be defined which one to choose. We already use packaging made from recycled organic waste. For the meal trays that we use for home meals, or for school trip picnics, there are several possibilities to replace plastic, bamboo fiber, banana fiber. We are also considering hemp. We benefit from an excellent hemp sector in Île-de-France. It is an avenue to explore.

Some points are more blocking. The sous-vide dishes precisely. We already know how to make plastic-free trays. But there is still a film at the bottom of the tray to ensure its tightness and conservation… it is not 100% plastic free.

Changes of this magnitude inevitably come at a cost. Can you already estimate it?

The budget has already been established, the release of plastics in all Parisian collective catering has been estimated at 4.5 million euros.

What are the next deadlines for the plan?

The next will be the vote, next week at the Council of Paris, of a subsidy of 400,000 euros which will be distributed among the managers of the different districts according to their needs for the replacements of small equipment, trays and jugs in administrative restaurants, the Paris City Social Action Center (CASVP), nursing homes, etc. Then there will be more help for the kitchen equipment.

Overall, over the 2021-2022 period, we will largely focus on supporting staff, the ergonomics of the equipment, and small equipment. To eliminate plastic from the trays, we are carrying out experiments until 2023.

In 2023, we will step up a gear on construction and large equipment. It is a progressive calendar until 2026 which will be adaptable according to different situations and advances. But the goal is that the great part of all these actions will see an end in 2024.

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