#car pool

To fight against waste or reduce polluting emissions, France is adopting new, slightly more restrictive rules in terms of ecology this year.

While extreme climatic episodes are increasing, from droughts in summer[1] to historic thaws in winter, several laws have been set-up by the French government in recent months and years to defend the environment come into force from last Sunday on.

Old diesels banned in Low Emission Zones

Crit'Air 5[2] vehicles (diesels produced before 2001, gray sticker) as well as those without a sticker (petrol cars before 1997) will be prohibited in the eleven French cities applying a Low Emission Zone (ZFE)[3]. These cities that exceed the air quality standards set at European level are: Aix-Marseille, Grenoble, Lyon, Montpellier, Nice, Paris, Reims, Rouen, Saint-Etienne, Strasbourg and Toulouse.

This restriction is already in force in Paris and its inner suburbs, where even Crit'Air 4 (diesels from before 2006 and two-wheelers from before 2004, brown sticker) theoretically no longer have the right to ride. At the start of 2024, these vehicles classified as Crit’Air 4 will be prohibited in all ZFEs. This system should also extend on December 31, 2024 to the 43 agglomerations of more than 150,000 inhabitants of the country.

A zero-interest loan for the purchase of a low-emission vehicle in LEZs

An experiment will be set up to offer the inhabitants of the 11 cities that apply a ZFE, an interest-free loan to help buy an electric or hybrid vehicle. However, it will only be accessible to people whose tax income is less than 14,000 euros per year or to micro-enterprises.

The loan can reach 30,000 euros for a car of 45,000 euros maximum, or 60,000 euros for a van, reimbursable in seven years, details the site service-public.fr.[4] Part of this sum may also be available in the event of a long-term rental of the vehicle or a rental with option to purchase.

More broadly, the amount of the ecological bonus for the purchase of an electric car is increased to 7,000 euros for half of the households, the most modest.[5]

The “carbon neutral” claim finally framed

Claiming that a product or service is "carbon neutral", "zero carbon", "with a zero carbon footprint", "climate neutral", "fully compensated", "100% compensated", is going to be much more complicated for companies.

To avoid greenwashing, the climate and resilience law[6] restricts the use of these claims. They will only be authorised if the public has easy access to the following information: a balance sheet of greenhouse gas emissions over the entire life cycle of the product or service, the planned emissions reduction trajectory, as well as the terms of compensation of residual emissions.

Single-use dishes banned from fast food restaurants

After the ban on various single-use plastic products[7] (straws, tableware, polystyrene boxes, etc.) in 2021, the anti-waste law for a circular economy continues to be rolled out gradually. Fast food must now serve customers who sit down on the spot in reusable dishes (cups, lids, plates, containers, cutlery).[8]

Large chains such as McDonald's, Quick, KFC or Domino's Pizza, that make extensive use of single-use packaging, are concerned, as well as all establishments from 20 covers.

Collection points for old toys widespread

The 100,000 tons of carts, dolls and other figurines thrown away every year no longer have a place in our classic trash cans.[9] To enable their reuse or recycling, 6,000 collection points will be deployed throughout France to get 2023 off to a good start.[10]

The eco-organisation Ecomaison (formerly Eco-mobilier)[11], in charge of this operation, will distribute half of them in stores (1,500), schools (1,200) and associations (400), half in recycling centres. An application will also make it possible to geolocate these bins.

If they are not recoverable, the plastic toys will be separated by type of resin used and then “micronised” so that they can be reinjected into new products, for example for outdoor games.

A new bonus for carpooling

Between hitchhiking and public transport, carpooling[12] for short journeys is hardly convincing. To boost car sharing on home-to-work journeys of less than 80 km, the government announced in mid-December the implementation of a bonus of 100 euros for new car-poolers who register on platforms such as Blablacar[13], Karos[14] or Klaxit[15] as drivers.

The boost will be paid in two instalments, with 25 euros from the first trip. The remaining 75 euros will be paid after nine additional journeys within three months. A second bonus, also of 100 euros, will benefit new car-sharing converts who make at least three long journeys. Stated objective: to make carpooling a habit.[16]

Extension of the electric bike bonus

In the wake of its "bicycle plan", the government is accelerating (a little) on the accessibility of electrically assisted bicycles. The eligibility threshold for the purchase bonus, which could reach 300 euros, will be increased to a “reference tax income per unit of less than 14,089 euros, against 13,489 euros currently” [17], details the Ministry of Ecological Transition. It argues that “50% of the poorest households” will now have access to it.

The conditions for granting the reinforced bonus of 400 euros, intended for precarious people and the disabled, will also be extended, with a reference tax income threshold per share increasing from 6,300 to 6,358 euros.

Source

LIBERATION et AFP : Vaisselle réutilisable au fast-food, bonus covoiturage, recyclage des jouets… Les changements verts au 1er janvier, in : Libération, 31-12-2022 ; https://www.liberation.fr/environnement/vaisselle-reutilisable-au-fast-food-bonus-covoiturage-recyclage-des-jouets-les-changements-verts-au-1er-janvier-20221231_4B336K3HQNCS3BVLVSFCUYNF5Y/

[1] While waiting for a full report from Météo France in early January, meteorologist François Gourand comments in the article in annex on the abnormally mild temperatures at the end of December. These heat peaks, he believes, are set to increase due to climate change. https://www.liberation.fr/environnement/climat/2022-sera-de-loin-lannee-la-plus-chaude-jamais-mesuree-en-france-20221227_6SFR6QTTKREAVLLG446GLVZVWU/

[2] The French government has decided to introduce an ecovignette called "Crit'Air" for traffic restriction zones and air quality zones. The introduction started on 1 July 2016. Based on a colour code (6 nuances), it allows the least polluting cars to drive in certain city centres, to park cheaper or to drive during certain pollution peaks. This vignette is also mandatory for scooters and motorcycles, which must place it on the front fork. There are exceptions for non-classified vehicles and holders of a parking card for the disabled.

[3] By 2025, millions of motorists will see their vehicles banned from the low emission zones (zone à faible émission ZFE) of 45 metropolises in France. https://www.liberation.fr/economie/transports/zone-a-faibles-emissions-tout-savoir-pour-rouler-sa-mecanique-legalement-20221023_LCVS4F74VJABRCVLNLHIECDBAI/

[4] From January 1, 2023, a zero-rate loan experiment for the purchase of an electric or hybrid vehicle will start in low-emission mobility zones. For a car of €45,000 maximum, or €60,000 for a van, the loan can reach €30,000, repayable in 7 years. This interest-free loan is open to people whose tax income does not exceed €14,000 per year, or to micro-enterprises, according to a decree published in the Official Journal of April 24, 2022. https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/actualites/A15644

[5] The ecological bonus will be improved by 1,000 euros for half of households buying an electric car, Emmanuel Macron announced in a daily interview with Les Echos on Monday. “Because we want to make the electric car accessible to everyone, we are even going to increase the ecological bonus from 6,000 to 7,000 euros for half of the households, the most modest”, declared the Head of State who will go this Monday at the opening of the Paris Motor Show. https://www.liberation.fr/economie/transports/achat-de-voiture-electrique-coup-de-pouce-ameliore-pour-la-moitie-des-menages-20221017_F4UAXUV6HBANLIXIOUHDQF43DU/

[6] After examining the climate bill for two weeks, the Senate adopted the text on Tuesday, by 193 votes for, 100 against and 54 abstentions, in a solemn vote. Compared to the version voted on at first reading by the National Assembly in early May, the latter has changed significantly. The parliamentarians (seven deputies and seven senators) are to meet on July 12 to try to find a compromise in the Joint Commission (CMP). https://www.liberation.fr/environnement/climat/projet-de-loi-climat-il-est-temps-de-se-rendre-compte-quon-est-collectivement-dans-la-merde-20210629_MYYXK5LTZBDQ7DTC74IZZOTHJE/

[7] Read also; https://at.tumblr.com/earaercircular/no-more-cucumber-in-plastic-france-bans-plastic/mi23wtgu5pv6 & https://at.tumblr.com/earaercircular/europe-introduces-stricter-rules-for-packaging/g6jn3d0gm9uv

[8] Say goodbye to cotton swabs, cutlery, cups, plates and other plastic stirrers. Bye, at the same time, sticks for balloons, confetti and barbecue skewers. As of this Thursday, all these single-use items must (in theory) have disappeared from the shelves of French shops and fast food restaurants, by virtue of their ban since January 1. Distributors and fast food restaurants had a six-month deadline (let's say a tolerance) to sell their stocks of polystyrene baguettes or "kebab" trays. That is two short days ahead of the entry into force of the ban on these non-reusable plastic items throughout the territory of the European Union and five years after the disappearance of plastic checkout bags. https://www.liberation.fr/lifestyle/le-plastique-a-usage-unique-non-grata-des-rayons-des-supermarches-20210701_M5UGLI3NIBFPZGJE46GZLZJKOM/

[9] Read also: https://at.tumblr.com/earaercircular/mattel-has-launched-a-collection-and-recycling/1t89uoiel38j

& https://at.tumblr.com/earaercircular/coolrec-and-playmobil-turn-old-refrigerators-into/g2q1u71qtzbh & https://at.tumblr.com/earaercircular/the-obstacle-course-to-green-lego-blocks/ltre1f7wcsp2

[10] Recycling of toys remains marginal. Main problem: toys are often made of several different materials or clumps of plastic, which complicates the task. Currently, there is no specific sorting bin as for plastic packaging, paper or glass. But the creation of a specific recycling sector for toys is in the government's boxes. This is part of its “extended producer responsibility” (EPR) project, one of the key points of the bill for a circular economy. Consultation with manufacturers is underway and this should lead to a specific sector on January 1, 2021. Toy producers will eventually have to finance the end of life of their products via eco-organizations. https://www.liberation.fr/evenements-libe/2019/07/13/comment-recycler-les-jouets-de-vos-enfants_1739209/

[11] Read also: https://at.tumblr.com/earaercircular/circular-economy-building-waste-management-turns/g9tqd663faay

[12] Good for the climate, good for the wallet. To decarbonize mobility and reduce air pollution, the government finally intends to make carpooling take off from everyday life. That is to say journeys of less than 80 kilometres, which correspond to commuting. The objective: to convince regulars of individual use of the car to share their racing car. The car is responsible for 17% of greenhouse gas emissions in France. With carpooling, the reduction of CO2 emissions can reach up to 30% and the savings made can go up to 2,000 euros per year and per vehicle, pleads the government. After the national daily carpooling plan launched in 2019, but weighed down by the Covid crisis, the first outlines of a “reinforced” plan for the period 2023-2027 were unveiled Monday evening to the press. https://www.liberation.fr/economie/transports/bonus-de-100-euros-aides-aux-collectivites-le-plan-du-gouvernement-pour-repropulser-le-covoiturage-20221213_G2X5Q2IRVNHHHAP54GZTZUDNWU/

[13] BlaBlaCar is a French online marketplace for carpooling. Its website and mobile apps connect drivers and passengers willing to travel together between cities and share the cost of the journey. The company does not own any vehicles; it is a broker and receives a commission (between 18% and 21%) from every booking. The platform has 100 million members, of which 25 million are active per quarter, and is available in 22 countries, almost all of which are in Europe and Latin America – countries include: Belgium, Brazil, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Italy, Luxembourg, Mexico, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, Turkey, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom

[14] Karos is the leading European carpool platform for daily commuting. Karos develops, deploys and maintains the software and support local partners with best practices and carpool knowledge to ensure the success of the deployment in the country. https://www.karos-mobility.com/

[15] Klaxit is a action platform to revolutionize the daily mobility thanks to carpooling home-work. They are building a mode of transportation community and accessible to all for daily journeys, France is in the world. https://www.klaxit.com/qui-sommes-nous

[16] After the pedestrianisation of the roads on the Seine bank, the city of Paris and the Ile-de-France region clash on new ground, against the backdrop of a presidential match between Anne Hidalgo, socialist mayor of the capital, and Valérie Pécresse, president local Republicans. The project: to reserve one of the lanes of the Paris ring road for the exclusive use of carpooling and buses after the 2024 Olympic Games. https://www.liberation.fr/societe/ville/paris-reserver-une-voie-du-periph-au-covoiturage-le-bras-de-fer-entre-pecresse-et-hidalgo-20211201_3MFSYU745JDYLKEII4CSV3XM5Q/