Environment: towards the end of wooden Camembert boxes?

Will wooden Camembert boxes soon be replaced by eco-responsible packaging? A vote in the European Parliament next week could force this change. An effort that some cheesemakers are not prepared to make. They are shocked by such a reform. “We fought for the ‘Camembert de Normandie’ appellations. Now we have to get rid of the box of Camembert which is a centuries-old tradition.”regrets Lawrence Mersiercheesemaker. On the consumer side, opinions are divided. “For conservation, the box is practical”estimates one of them.

The problem of recycling

Behind the scenes of European authorities, the debate rages. According to several lobbies and companies, recycling Camembert boxes would be too expensive. They want exemptions. “Today, lightweight wooden packaging represents 0.01% of household packaging waste, so it would be too expensive to set up a sorting and recycling system“, says Claire Lacroix, CEO of Lacroix Emballages. For certain environmental associations and NGOs, the ecological emergency makes this regulation essential. However, Camembert boxes aren’t going to disappear right away. The proposed regulations are not expected to be put in place before 2030 or 2035.