The transition towards a circular economy is a key project of the ecological and social transition. The situation is clear: France has a long way to go to make progress in the circular Economy. In 2014, the rate of recovery of household and similar waste was 39% - much lower than in Germany (65%) or Belgium (50%). The rest, half of which is organic waste, is therefore incinerated or landfilled, which leads to local environmental pollution and energy waste that is incompatible with the French climate objectives. The circular economy is providing an innovative and sustainable way for France to meet climate objectives. 

In April 2018, the Ministry for Ecological and Solidary Transition issued the Circular Economy Roadmap. The document charts a path for rapid progress towards the ambitious goals of the Climate Plan in matters relating to the circular economy. It is the results of 4 workshops between stakeholders around 4 topics: territories, plastics, sustainable consumption/production and economic instruments. At the same time, an online platform was opened to collect citizens‘ opinions. The French roadmap includes 50 measures for a 100% circular economy, divided into four key priority areas:

1. A Roadmap for Better Production

2. A Roadmap to better consumption

3. A Roadmap for Better Managing Our Waste

4. A Roadmap for Mobilizing all Actors

The Roadmap measures will result in legislative measures through the transposition law of the new European waste directive and in the work of drafting future public budgets. Moreover, the Roadmap will also manifest itself in the form of regulatory measures, community initiatives, in particular to significantly increase the collection of valuable waste, and voluntary commitments by companies. The deployment of the Roadmap will then be accompanied, as during the drafting stage, by major involvement on the part of the relevant stakeholders.

The objectives are:

- Reduce natural resource use related to French consumption: 30% reduction in resource consumption in relation to GDP between 2010 and 2030.

- A 50% reduction in the amount of non-hazardous waste landfilled by 2025, compared to 2010.

- Aim towards 100% of plastics recycled by 2025.

- Reduce greenhouse gas emissions: avoid the emission of 8 million additional tonnes of CO2 each year thanks to plastic recycling.

- Create up to 300,000 additional jobs, including in new professions.