1. Legal framework

This article in Techniques de l'ingénieur is devoted to the measures taken by the European and French authorities against plastics, mainly on the grounds that they damage the environment. The legal reference is to be found in the French Environment Code:

• articles L541-1 et seq. containing the legislative provisions (L = law) relating to the prevention and management of waste produced by households and professional activities;

• articles D541-330 et seq. containing the provisions laid down by decree (D = simple decree) to ban certain single-use plastic products;

• articles R543-42 to R543-74 setting out the measures to be taken by decree (R = decree issued after consultation with the Conseil d'État) for the eco-design and recovery of packaging waste, and for the limitation of single-use...