The disposable tableware market - France (2023)

1.2 A globally mature market

The global disposable tableware market is alreadyalready highly developedas the graph above shows. In fact, itits size is estimated at ***** million dollars in ****. Itsgrowth prospects are actually quite modestas forecasts predict an averageaverage annual growth rate of *.**% until ****.

Disposable tableware market trends World, **** - ****, in millions Source: ****

Among the various components of disposable tableware, the plate accounts for the largest market share. In fact, paper plates are particularly appealing for their practicality and eco-friendliness. In this sector, international partnerships are being forged to help companies make the ecological transition. Such is the case with Huhtamaki, a Chinese company, and Carte d'OR, who have collaborated to help the ice-cream manufacturer change the format of its boxes and lids.

1.3 The French market

Production figures

The tableware sector (***), including disposable tableware, is shown below:

Tableware production trends Source: ****

Although production sales tend to fluctuate downwards, these movements in activity are very slight (***). Indeed, production in the tableware sector has remained generally constant over the past ten years. In ****, production sales amounted to around *.* billion euros excluding VAT.

In the case of tableware, the following chart shows the breakdown by type:

Tableware production by material France, ****, in millions of euros Source: ****

Disposable tableware accounts for the lion's share of tableware production, with sales estimated at *** million euros in ****, or almost half of all tableware production. Although in the midst of an ecological transition, the disposable tableware market could well grow at a sustained rate in the years to come. This is because the production of disposable tableware costs more than before, as the materials used must be ecologically virtuous. As a result, consumer prices for disposable tableware are also higher. But these higher prices don't seem to be harming the use of this type of tableware, which has clearly become part of French people's habits.

Consumption

To estimate the size of the disposable tableware market in France, we will take a look at the sector's ...

1.4 Summary of market drivers

The table below summarizes the main business drivers in the disposable tableware market.for each factor is an assessment of the impact (***) in the coming years on the market in question.

1.5 Foreign trade

In this section we will look at ******** - Tableware and other kitchenware, of plastics; ******** - Trays, dishes, plates, cups and the like, of bamboo paper or bamboo paperboard; ******** - Trays, dishes and plates, of paper or paperboard (***).

Foreign trade in disposable tableware, ******** France, **** - ****, in millions of euros Source: ****

France's main suppliers in this category are China, Italy and the Netherlands, from which we will import the equivalent of €***m, €**m and €**m respectively in ****.

Foreign trade in disposable tableware, ******** France, **** - ****, in thousands of euros Source: ****

In ****, the main trading partners for this import category were China (***).

Foreign trade in disposable tableware (***), ******** France, **** - ****, in thousands of euros Source : Le Kiosque The leading import partner in this category in **** is China (***). Foreign trade in disposable tableware (***), ******** France, **** - ****, in millions of euros Source : Le Kiosque Finally, for paper and cardboard cups, tumblers and similar articles, China is still the leading supplier (***) for ****. Disposable tableware is no exception to the French trade balance. Indeed, the trade balance is also structurally in deficit in this sector. It's worth noting that the category with the highest proportional trade deficit is paper or cardboard cups, tumblers and similar articles (***).

2.1 French eco-citizen attitudes

The ban on disposable tableware in the catering sector is partly a direct consequence of the ecological concerns of the French. Indeed, the vast majority of French people found the use of this type of crockery problematic:

"Among the following practices, to what extent do they seem problematic to you in terms of the environment? France, ****, in % Source: ****

Thus, **% of those surveyed consider the use of disposable plastic tableware to be problematic. Over-packaging is the most problematic practice according to respondents (***). The demand for environmentally-friendly tableware has therefore been a driving force behind the transition of the disposable tableware market.

Hence the current challenge of offering ecologically virtuous disposable tableware made from recycled materials. This would help retain existing customers and attract new ones:

"What are all the elements that reassure you about the ecological impact of a product?" France, ****, in % Source: ****

As proof of this, the possibility of recycling the product is the primary concern of respondents to reassure themselves about its ecological impact (***) at the time of purchase. Here again, this justifies the need to radically reform the disposable tableware market in favor of recyclable tableware.

Today, the French are very aware of their responsibilities when it ...

2.2 A brake on demand for disposable tableware: reusability

The ecological concerns of the French are significant, and many of them are opting for reusable crockery outside the home, rather than disposable crockery:

"In your daily life, what reusable equipment do you use to eat or drink outside your home? France, ****, in Source: ****

In fact, more than half of those surveyed use a water bottle, cutlery, lunchbox or reusable cups when eating out. Only **% use none of these (***).

However, even though reusables are clearly part of the habits of many French people, they are not among the main eco-responsible gestures of those surveyed:

"In your opinion, what are the main eco-responsible gestures to adopt on a daily basis?" France, ****, in % Source: ****

In fact, only **% of those surveyed consider this eco-responsible gesture to be the most important. What's more, only *% consider this gesture to be the most important. These figures illustrate the potential resilience of the disposable tableware sector in the face of the rise of reusables.

2.3 Demand drivers: delivery and takeaway

Meal delivery

Largely driven by the pandemic and multiple confinements, the home delivery market is a key determinant of demand for disposable tableware. In this context, disposable tableware is indispensable (***).

Evolution of home delivery sales France, **** - ****, in billions of euros Source: ****

With sales of seven billion euros in ****, the home delivery market should continue to expand in the coming years, reaching sales of *.* billion euros in ****. On average, the French have three meals delivered to their homes every month. What's more, the business sector has seen a marked increase since **** (***), and now accounts for **% of orders. [***]

Growth in the number of restaurant chains offering a delivery service France, **** - ****, in units Source: ****

Driving growth in the foodservice sector, more and more brands are developing delivery services. Since the end of ****, almost *,*** additional brands have developed such a service, representing a **% increase. In total, sales of home food delivery will amount to around *.** billion euros by ****.

Moreover, the penetration rate of home delivery is much higher for meal delivery than for shopping delivery:

Home delivery penetration rate by type of service France, ****, in Source: ****

Home meal delivery, the only type of delivery requiring disposable crockery, is therefore the most popular, with ...

2.4 Demand drivers: a dynamic catering market

After enjoying growth rates consistently in excess of *% between **** and ****, the catering sector logically collapsed during the pandemic, with sales in the sector declining by more than ** points in ****.

Sales trends in the catering sector France, **** - ****, % Source: ****

The long-term viability of this sector was hampered by the pandemic and successive confinements, which naturally impacted demand for disposable tableware. However, the sector bounced back in **** with an exceptional sales growth rate (***).

3.1 Disposable tableware market value chain

The following diagram describes the relationships between the various players in the disposable tableware market:

Confédération des Arts de la Table and Businesscoot

3.2 B2B production and distribution channels

In the context of Business to Business (***) relationships, customer companies generally use wholesalers who sell their products on various platforms, or directly to distributors. The following table lists the main manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors in this sector in France:

Source: ****

3.3 B2C distribution channels

As far as B*C distribution is concerned, three main channels can be distinguished:

supermarkets specialized stores (***) online sales

Below is a table listing some of the players in these three B*C distribution channels:

Source: ****

3.4 Profound changes favoring the rise of pure players and shaking up the market

With plastic disposable tableware having been completely banned for over two years now (***), players have had to reinvent themselves, and others have been able to grab new market share.

Thouy, for example, was able to take advantage of this far-reaching reform of the disposable tableware market. The company manufactures a range of plastic-free disposable tableware and cutlery, in response to growing awareness of the need to reduce waste. Based in Castres, this fast-growing company uses plant-based materials such as palm leaves, corn starch and sugarcane to replace plastic in its products. These materials are even more resistant than plastic. By ****, the company's premises had already doubled in size, from * to *,*** square meters. [***]

Competition from reusable tableware

In light of changing regulations, the disposable tableware sector is now facing competition from reusable tableware. Fast-food outlets, among others, are investing heavily in this sector. McDonald's, for example, is investing tens of thousands of euros for each restaurant. This transition is easier for chains than for independent restaurateurs. [***]

Faced with the need to rethink their operational processes, fast-food chains were faced with two major challenges. The first challenge was the selection of containers, which had to take into account factors such as durability, ease ...

4.1 Product typology

Disposable tableware encompasses a large number of different products, both in terms of use and composition. Generally speaking, they include the following products:

plates knives forks spoons cups packaging (***)

But these different utensils also vary in their composition. Thouy has drawn up the following list of the different materials used for sustainable tableware:

cardboard: made from wood fibers and basic materials such as bamboo, hemp, linen and wood. It is an assembly of several layers of paper. Its advantages are: thermal resistance, ***% biodegradable and compostable, practical because disposable, economical, made from natural materials, solid. plant fibers: plant fiber products are made from organic residues from sugar cane or wood. Advantages include: elegant, innovative products made from natural materials, heat resistance, ***% biodegradable and compostable, water and greaseproof, sturdy and impact-resistant. wood : a natural material of plant origin. It's an ecological solution that respects the environment. It offers the following advantages: strength and rigidity, water and grease resistance, thermal resistance, natural material, ***% biodegradable and compostable, fashionable. palm : Palm disposable tableware is made from the leaf sheaths of palm leaves that fall to the ground and come from the "Adaka" nut palm. The leaf sheaths used are residues from the palm tree that normally ...

4.2 Prices vary by distributor

The following table lists the prices of a variety of disposable tableware products:

Source: ****

These are prices for items found on the Boutique du jetable website, not an average based on a study of a wide range of products.

5.1 Current regulations

Ban on single-use plastic

" Decree no. ****-*** of June **** lists the ** products excluded from the ban on selling fruit and vegetables packaged in plastic. This decree replaces decree no. ****-**** of October *, ****, which was annulled by Conseil d'Etat decision no. ****** of December *, ****. See also: Plastic packaging for fruit and vegetables: what does the new decree say? - entreprendre.service-public.fr, June **, ****.

In application of Law no. ****-*** of February **, **** on the fight against waste and the circular economy, Decree no. ****-*** of June **, **** provides foras of July *, ****, all retail outlets will be required to display unprocessed fresh fruit and vegetables without plastic packaging. Read the explanations from service-public.fr.

Following the publication of Decree no. ****-*** of March *, ****, producers of packaging used to market products consumed or used by catering professionals will be required to organize or contribute to the management of waste from the packaging of these products.

****-****: the first plastics banned by law:

As of January *, ****, the following will be banned:

disposable plastic cups, glasses and plates the use of plastic bottles for still water in school catering (***)

Plastics banned from January *, ****:

As of January *, ****, the ban also applies to the following plastic products:

steak tongs disposable ...

5.2 Future regulations

Changes in French regulations are aimed at reducing waste and encouraging the reuse of packaging, including the introduction of deposits. The latter, which had almost disappeared with the introduction of disposable packaging, is experiencing renewed growth. As a result, not only on-site catering, but also food delivery and take-away are affected by these changes.

From January *, ****, articles **, ** and ** of the Agec law will require retailers and takeaway operators to accept containers brought in by customers for service, provided they are clean. They are also required to offer discounts on the sale of drinks if customers use their own containers.

Article ** of the "Climate and Resilience" law of August **, **** also envisages the introduction of experiments with deposit systems for delivered catering, which generates a large amount of packaging waste. These experiments could be made mandatory by decree in certain territories. With this law, the French government is expressing its desire to further support the deposit system. [***]

****-****: Next phases of the plastics ban

From July *, ****, all retailers will be required to offer their unprocessed fresh fruit and vegetables for sale without plastic packaging, as stipulated by Decree no. ****-*** of June **, ****. However, certain exemptions are provided for in this decree.

By ...

5.3 Points to explain EN 13432

European standard EN ***** defines the "characteristics of packaging recoverable by composting and biodegradation". It lays the foundations for the "test scheme and evaluation criteria for final acceptance of packaging". It was published in the Official Journal of the European Communities (***). [***]

Packaging complying with this standard can therefore be recovered by composting in the same way as organic waste.

According to standard NF EN *****, the characteristics of a compostable material must be as follows:

Biodegradability, or the metabolic conversion of compostable material into carbon dioxide (***). For a material to be considered biodegradable, it must be able to reach **% biodegradation in less than * months. Disintegration, i.e. fragmentation and total loss of visibility in the final compost (***). Samples of test material are composted with organic waste for * months. At the end, the compost is sieved with a * mm sieve. The total residue greater than * mm must then be less than **% of the initial mass. A very low concentration of heavy metals (***) is carried out on compost samples where degradation of the test material has taken place. No difference from control compost should be detected. Permanence of chemo-physical parameters. Some of these parameters must remain unchanged after degradation of the test material: nitrogen concentration ...

6.1 Player segmentation

• SML Food Plastic
• Thouy - Desechables.es
• Bini
• Biopak
• Flo Europe
• Lariplast France
• Aluplast
• Compos’Table
• LSBIO.fr
• Comatec
• Solia
• Dinovia
• Le Nappage