Plastic ban in European supermarkets by 2025 and solutions (10)
2025 年 5 月 23 日
Have you ever thought that those shiny plastic boxes on supermarket shelves will one day be eliminated from history like old-fashioned film? In 2025, this scene will be played out in Europe – from boutique supermarkets in Paris to community markets in Berlin, disposable plastic packaging will completely disappear. Behind this change, it is not only the promotion of environmental protection regulations, but also a business revolution decided by consumer votes.
As a foreign trade company focusing on bagasse products, we have witnessed the drastic shocks in the global supply chain: some companies are overwhelmed by inventory backlogs, while others have taken advantage of the situation to rise and become industry benchmarks. This article will take you out of the “response policy” mindset and analyze how bagasse products can help companies seize the initiative in this plastic-free wave from three dimensions: market trends, technological breakthroughs and consumer psychology.
1. Consumers are voting with their shopping carts: environmentally friendly packaging has become a necessity
The latest report from European market research firm Circular Insights reveals a disruptive fact: 72% of consumers will give up buying products because they are packaged in plastic, even if they are their favorite brands. On Instagram, the number of posts on the topic #PlasticFreeShopping has soared 400% in a year, and Generation Z regards environmentally friendly packaging as the “bottom line of brand ethics.” This explains why the French supermarket chain Carrefour urgently removed plastic fruit and vegetable trays from its shelves – not because of the threat of fines, but because of the large-scale loss of young customers. In contrast, the Spanish small supermarket EcoFresco has seen a 35% surge in weekly sales per store by adopting bagasse packaging across its entire line. Its founder bluntly said: “Customers take the packaging boxes home to grow coriander, which has become our living advertisement.”
2. The counterattack of bagasse: from field waste to technological dark horse
In the Gangetic Plains of India, the residue from sugarcane extraction was once considered a nuisance by farmers – burning it polluted the air and piling it up to occupy land. Until material scientists discovered that these fibers have the potential to subvert the packaging industry:
(一）"Smart Breathing" that is Stronger than Plastic
Through nano-scale pore regulation technology, bagasse trays can work like smart air conditioners: when strawberries release too much carbon dioxide, the micropores automatically expand to accelerate gas exchange; when mangoes are in a high-humidity environment, the lignin in the fiber instantly absorbs excess water vapor. Experiments at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands have shown that this dynamic regulation extends the shelf life of blueberries by 40%, far exceeding the 15% of traditional plastic boxes.
(二）The "invisible warrior" in the cold storage
Cold chain transportation was once a nightmare for non-plastic materials, until sugarcane bagasse encountered bio-resin coating. Tests by German logistics giant DHL showed that the compressive strength of sugarcane bagasse pallets coated with natural resin increased by 300% at -25°C, the breakage rate when transporting salmon was only 0.1%, and no moisture-proof film was required throughout the process – this is very attractive to the high-end Nordic market that pursues “naked packaging”.
(三）Degradation does not mean disappearance, but rebirth
At the industrial composting plant in Milan, bagasse trays are performing magic: after 90 days, they are transformed into potassium-rich humus, which is snapped up by local vineyards. This closed loop of “from land to land” has been certified by the Italian Organic Food Association as the “first choice for carbon-neutral packaging.”
3.Cost myths debunked: environmental protection ≠ expensive
The experience of Berlin startup GreenBox is worth pondering: they hesitated because bagasse lunch boxes were 2 cents more expensive than plastic ones, until they broke down the packaging costs into two parts: “explicit” and “implicit”:
(一）Explicit costs:
Large-scale production has caused the price of bagasse products to drop by 47% in three years, and in 2024 it will be basically the same as food-grade plastics;
(二）Hidden benefits:
Reduced losses: After Tesco in the UK used bagasse to package salads, the return rate dropped by 22%;
Brand premium: Swiss chocolate brand Frey’s bagasse gift box is priced 15% higher, but it became a hit on Valentine’s Day;
Policy dividends: Portugal exempted environmentally friendly packaging companies from 15% value-added tax, which is equivalent to saving 4,200 euros per container.
4. Practical Guide: Three Steps to Build Differentiated Competitiveness
(一）Accurately locate pain points and reject “one-size-fits-all”
Berry suppliers focus on promoting the “anti-mildew air holes + shock-proof structure” design, directly addressing the pain point of berries’ perishable nature;
pre-prepared food companies can adopt the “microwave heatable + leak-proof coating” solution to solve the stubborn problem of plastic boxes deforming when exposed to heat.
(二）Tell good product stories and activate social communication
Print a QR code on the packaging box, and scan the code to display the sugarcane bagasse source farm, carbon footprint data and composting tutorial;
Cooperate with KOL to launch the #GrowYourBoxChallenge, where users bury used pallets in flower pots to record the growth process of plants.
(三）Bundling policy dividends to amplify business value
Jointly apply for the EU “Green Transformation Fund” to receive a subsidy of up to 30% of the project investment amount;
Highlight the “2025 Ban Standard Compliant” logo on the product page to grab the supermarket shopping list in advance.
5.The future is here: Who is leading the plastic-free race?
Netto Supermarket in Denmark: Using bagasse pallets to build a “sustainable shelf area”, customer flow increased by 50%, and was rated as a “retail innovation case” by the European Union;
NatCold, a Polish juice brand: launched a combination of bagasse bottle caps + paper boxes, entered the high-end line of Rewe in Germany, and the unit price increased by 22%;
Austrian Post: After using bagasse express boxes, the renewal rate of e-commerce customers increased by 38%, and its “unboxing and planting” design received millions of likes on Reddit.
These cases reveal a truth: in the plastic-free era, packaging is no longer a cost item, but the most direct brand language.
