France is to impose a "picnic tax" on plastic cutlery and plates as part of a drive to cut down on waste, but the unlikely levy has stuck in the throat of "pique-niqueurs" across the country.
To general incredulity, the French environment minister, Jean-Louis Borloo, confirmed the so-called "taxe pique-nique" on Monday. "We're doing it," he declared.
A tax of 90 cents (71p) per kilogram (2.2 lbs) will be placed on plastic and paper throwaway cups from next year, aimed at cutting the average 360kg (793 lbs) of rubbish generated per person per year in France.
A raft of other "green" taxes may also be imposed, including on batteries, televisions, washing machines and fridges, with tax breaks offered for more environmentally friendly alternatives.
Mr Borloo said the new levy was simply the extension of a tax already in place on highly polluting products, such as detergents, oils and pesticides.
But the main opposition Socialist party rounded on the measure as a bourgeois attack on those French already struggling to meet basic living costs.
"Those who have picnics are not the same people who go to restaurants," claimed Socialist spokesman Stéphane Le Foll.
The government, he said, should instead concentrate on reducing energy consumption in other areas, like public transport.
The French are keen on picnics, often surprisingly gastronomic ones.
Some said the tax would not make them change their ways. "I'm not really prepared to carry heavy plates and cutlery, so I'll probably go on as before – it's just another tax," said one mother of a family picnicking in Paris. "They'd probably make more money by taxing all these new laws they keep passing," she said.
But a nearby family using china plates and metal cutlery disagreed.
"We'll have to start cutting back on disposable stuff, otherwise we'll never get out of this mess," said one mother of two.
The picnic tax has caused friction between Mr Borloo and the finance ministry, which is worried about any negative impact on France's already wobbly economy.
But Mr Borloo insisted that it is the logical progression of his so-called "bonus-malus" system, which raises taxes on highly polluting cars and reduces them for eco-friendly ones.
The tax will affect plastic goblets, knives and forks, and non-biodegradable paper plates and napkins. The gains would, he said, help bring down taxes on recyclable products. "We don't like to think of this as a tax, but a levy on goods which are heavy generators of rubbish."
A near-identical tax was introduced in Belgium last year, where the tax also extends to cling film and aluminium foil.
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This article, written by Henry Samuel, first appeared in the online Telegraphy.co.uk on 16th September 2008. Click here to view original article.
