Energy strainers, plastic, meal vouchers… What will change on January 1, 2025

After the holidays, it's time for the New Year and its traditional batch of new measures. Ban on plastic food containers for takeaway sales, end of tax exemption CO₂ for hybrid company vehicles, rental of category G accommodation prohibited… As every year, Reporterre reviews what will change on 1^is January.

• Ban on plastic food containers in collective catering

As of 1^is January, no more plastic cooking, warming and serving food containers. At least, for school or university catering establishments, or catering for children under 6 years old (crèches and pediatric, obstetric and maternity services).

Unlike commercial catering, which is not subject to this obligation, collective catering services offering take-out sales must use reusable containers, or those made from recyclable materials. A major change, since packaging is generally made up of several layers of materials, namely cardboard, varnish and plastic film, often essential to make the box waterproof when transporting fatty or liquid foods. These elements make the container difficult to recycle.

• Pesticides banned on sports fields

This measure was expected. If, since 2022, the Labbé law has prohibited the use of synthetic phytosanitary products in all public places, sports grounds and racetracks were until now exempt. A luxury now finished, since from 1^is January, pesticides will be banned on all sports turf.

Except… for six uses « identified by the sector »out of the twenty-one in practice at present, linked to the maintenance of lawns on sports equipment used during professional competitions, due to lack of an alternative technical solution. These uses include weeding, treatment of specific diseases (pythiaceae, « dollar spot »fusarium wilts), and the control of soil pests.

Chemical plant protection products — « appearing on a list established for a limited period by the ministers responsible for ecology and sports » — will still be authorized according to the public consultation opened on December 6 on the draft decree establishing these exemptions.

• Limitation of the use of meal vouchers at the supermarket

This is one of the consequences of the censorship of Michel Barnier's government. Parliament was unable to complete its examination of the bill aimed at extending the possibility of paying for groceries with meal vouchers until 2026. The system, adopted in 2022 following Covid, will therefore end on December 31. Food products can no longer be purchased in supermarkets with meal vouchers, except those considered directly consumable, such as sandwiches or prepared meals.

This measure could, however, be reintroduced when a law allowing its extension is passed.

• Accommodations classified G can no longer be rented

Owners of housing whose energy performance diagnosis is classified G will have to plan work to make their property authorized for rental.

Since 2022, landlords and owners renting properties classified G and F in mainland France have already been prohibited from increasing the rent. From 2023, housing consuming more than 450 kilowatt hours per square meter per year, that is to say the most energy-intensive in category G, had been excluded from the rental market in mainland France.

• MaPrimeRénov' budget increases, but less than expected

The texts defining the contours of MaPrimeRénov' in 2025 were narrowly adopted after censorship by the Barnier government. This financial aid from the State, whose budget has increased by 600 million euros, is intended to encourage energy renovation work in housing. This increase is, however, much less than expected, since the budget for the system was cut by one billion euros this summer.

Single-step works – simple and specific interventions such as insulation or changing heating – remain eligible for state aid, without the obligation to simultaneously install a carbon-free heating or domestic hot water system. To facilitate this renovation work, individual houses classified F or G will remain eligible for this system.

The capping rate — capped and calculated on household resources — will increase in 2025, except for households with intermediate and higher incomes (above 58,827 euros for a household of two people), who will see their aid decrease for major renovations.

Furthermore, aid for the installation of boilers and wood stoves will drop by 30 % in 2025.

• More charging points for electric vehicles

Finding a charging station for your electric vehicle is often difficult. To remedy this, « non-residential buildings with a parking lot of more than twenty spaces have, on 1^is January 2025, at least one charging point for electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles located on a location whose size allows access to people with reduced mobility ».

This measure resulting from the mobility orientation law will also apply to mixed-use buildings – which include apartments, businesses or offices – of which more than twenty parking spaces are intended for non-residential use. This decision should encourage the purchase of electric vehicles.

• Hybrid company vehicles taxed again

Hybrid company vehicles will no longer be exempt from the annual carbon emissions tax. CO₂. Only hybrid vehicles using E85 superethanol exclusively or partially will benefit from a reduction on their emissions of CO₂ or their administrative power, except when these emissions or this power exceed 250 g/km or twelve administrative horsepower.

The exemption, however, remains in place on vehicles whose source is hydrogen, electricity, or a combination of the two.

• Some low-emission zones tighten their rules

As of 1^is January, vehicles with a Crit'Air 3 sticker will no longer be able to circulate in low-emission zones (ZFE) of the metropolises of Paris and Lyon, but also of Montpellier and Grenoble. This sticker concerns diesel cars registered before 2011 and gasoline cars before 2006. More than 420,000 vehicles are affected by these new restrictions.

For Greater Paris, motorists with a Crit'Air 3 vehicle will benefit from an exception of twenty-four days per year. If they wish to go to the ZFEthey must request it in advance from the Greater Paris metropolis.

• Discharge of sediments at sea prohibited

To improve the protection of marine ecosystems, the discharge into the sea of ​​sediments and dredging residues beyond a certain threshold will now be prohibited. This text is aimed at project owners of public or private dredging operations, and concerns all French ports, including overseas.

The International Maritime Organization has retained certain thresholds which complement those already existing: traces of arsenic must, for example, not exceed 100 mg/kg of dry sediment. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), persistent chemical pollutants, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (HAP), persistent organic pollutants, are also concerned. These are very poorly biodegradable micropollutants which persist in the environment, often long after their use has ceased. They can concentrate in living tissues and contaminate a food chain.

• But these measures are not the only ones to become effective on 1^is January…

The France Travail reform will come into force and, with it, the 15 hours of compulsory activity for unemployment benefits. RSA and an intensification of controls.

In Île-de-France, single cardboard tickets from the RATP will no longer be sold, except in stations that do not yet have machines or counters offering Navigo Easy Passes.

The contribution rate relating to natural disaster coverage (known as the Cat-Nat regime) will increase from 12 % to 20 % on property damage insurance contracts (home and professional).

The TVA on the equipment and installation of condensing or very high energy performance gas boilers (THPE) will be raised to 10 %. These boilers were subjected to a TVA out of 5.5 %.

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