New French Law Requires Restaurants to Provide Take-Away Boxes

A law took effect in France on January 1, 2016, that requires restaurants
to provide take-away boxes to diners who request them. The law reportedly
targets the country’s rising food waste problem, but may have little
impact—one government-commissioned report concluded that “the
obstacle is mostly cultural” because “the majority of diners don’t dare
to ask for the leftovers of their meal, while the restaurateurs see it as
a ‘degradation’ of their dishes.” The French do not have a term for a
take-away box; many reportedly call it “le doggy bag,” but a hotel and
restaurant industry union is attempting to replace the term with “le
gourmet bag.” See France 24, January 4, 2016.

Issue 589