France was planning to implement a system similar to the Portuguese Volta program, which rewards citizens for returning recyclable packaging. The system was in the development phase to be applied in the country.
However, the idea ended up being abandoned before moving forward. French municipal associations opposed the plan and managed to halt its implementation.
These associations argued that offering a financial reward to citizens could have the opposite effect to the one desired. They argued that payment could devalue the act of sorting household waste and recycling voluntarily.
The debate will now focus on finding alternatives that promote recycling without associating monetary compensation with citizens' civic gesture.
