Unfortunately, no matter how much you ignore it, the issue of waste will not disappear and neither will the plastic that you use.
When I started looking around a bit more I realised how ignorant I had been. Paris is full of interesting people trying to make a change and there are lots little shops selling food in bulk and fresh produce and plastic free alternatives. Just because it isn't such a strong movement in Paris as Sydney, it doesn't mean that there isn't anything at all. I think of it like a fire, the kindling is there and the fire is built, someone just needs to strike the match and it will catch fire.