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France has become the first country to ban all plastic cups, plates and cutlery in a law that will take full effect in 2020.

The measure was passed last month, but businesses have until 2020 to fully comply, according to the Associated Press.

All disposable dishes in France will instead have to be made from biologically sourced materials and the products must be able to be composted.

BioPak founder and director Richard Fine told PKN Packaging News the news was "fantastic".

"The rest of the world should start adopting the same measures," he said.

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"There's no reason we have to use plastic single-use items.

"Their environmental cost is mounting up and now that we have more bioplastics players coming on board consumers can make choices that will not pollute the environment."

Biopak offsets all the carbon emissions associated with the production, transport and disposal of its sustainable, plant-based packaging.

France banned plastic bags in July, a move other countries have also made, but France is the first to extend these types of bans to plastic cutlery and dishes.

France has been a leader on climate change and hosted the Paris Climate Change Conference in 2015.

The country's newest ban has attracted criticism from packaging industry lobbyists, who say that the ban violates European Union rules on the free movement of goods, the AP says.

Food & Drink Business

The Western Australian government has invested $437,500 in the state’s agrifood and beverage sector as part of its Value Add Investment Grant program, with funding going towards feasibility studies that support business expansion, diversification, and growth.

Soft Plastic Stewardship Australia (SPSA) and its industry partners have received long-term approval from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to operate a national soft plastics collection and recycling scheme, under an eight-year authorisation announced last week.

McCain Foods has dedicated a full day of production at its Ballarat plant to Foodbank Australia, producing and donating more than 81,000 meals to help households experiencing food insecurity.