They are ahead of many other countries when it comes to recycling and managing waste. The sort of paying a deposit on all plastic bottles and drinks cans scheme with machines to refund the deposit that is being introduced in Britain has been normal for at least 12-15 years.
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Don’t know how much sense you will make of this very comprehensive illustrated leaflet issued recently by Communauté d’Agglomération Mont Saint-Michel about domestic waste collection, it does give pretty clear guidance. We now use translucent bags for non-recyclable waste which is checked by operatives who collect and rejected if it contains anything that should be recycled. The local decheterie is always manned and helpful, and there are plentiful containers for glass, tins, plastics and cartons, and cardboard and paper, always within 500 yards of dwellings.
These charts are very useful… we have one taped to the boilerhouse door so we see it each time we go the sac jaune with bits and bobs.
Of course, different areas of the country can cope with different products. (some more, some less)
Our local reclycling plant takes more now than ever before… but still there is stuff that will end up in the ground 
So, I may well start removing any packaging at point of purchase (after I’ve paid for it obviously…).
I think your idea of stripping off unnecessary packaging in the store is only țransferring the responsibility to the shop-staff, Norma, and they are unlikely to be as careful as you might be if you managed it yourself. And considerably more pissed off! I don’t have solutions myself, but I try to be conscientious about tri and composting, although I don’t much enjoy it. I do greatly admire the French sense of civic řesponsibilty though, such a refreshing change from English litter-loutery.
Thanks Peter… for the composting bit… I was about to burble that I have nowhere to put a compost heap… and I just thought of a lost corner on the outskirts of the village (it’s ok, it’s my lost corner)…
I think I will have a real go at making a heap just like my Dad used to do… he often ended up growing marrows on his heap… 
Our neighbour used to compost our stuff… but since his death, things have not been quite the same…and today I have a wheelbarrow full of stuff…it’s been a good pruning/weeding day today.