EPR Obligations in France

Key legislation & authorities

France's EPR framework is governed by the Anti-Waste and Circular Economy Law (AGEC, 2020), which significantly expanded producer obligations beyond earlier EU transpositions. Key authorities include:

• ADEME (Agence de la transition écologique) — oversees EPR scheme approval and monitoring
• CITEO — the dominant éco-organisme for household packaging and graphic paper
• Ecosystem / Ecologic — approved WEEE collection and recycling schemes
• Corepile / Screlec — battery collection and recycling éco-organismes

Non-compliance penalties can reach €100,000 per category, with additional sanctions including product sales bans and mandatory product recalls.

Packaging obligations (CITEO)

Any producer placing packaged goods on the French market must:

• Register with an approved packaging éco-organisme (typically CITEO)
• Declare quantities and materials annually
• Pay eco-contributions based on weight, material type, and recyclability
• Apply the Triman logo and French-language sorting instructions on all regulated packaging

France's eco-modulation system applies bonuses and penalties based on packaging design: recyclable mono-materials receive reduced fees, while non-recyclable or multi-layer packaging faces surcharges of up to 100%.

Important for e-commerce sellers: Cross-border distance sellers shipping into France are fully subject to these obligations, regardless of where the company is established. Amazon.fr actively verifies compliance and delists non-registered sellers.

WEEE obligations (electronics)

Producers of electrical and electronic equipment sold in France must register with an approved WEEE éco-organisme (Ecosystem or Ecologic) and:

• Register before placing the first product on the market
• Report quantities placed on market annually
• Contribute financially to collection, treatment, and recycling of e-waste
• Apply the crossed-out wheelie bin symbol on products
• Provide take-back options or contribute to municipal collection systems

France's WEEE scope covers 7 broad categories and includes a wide range of products from consumer electronics to lighting, medical devices, and monitoring instruments.

Battery obligations

Under the EU Battery Regulation (2023/1542) and French national implementation, producers must:

• Register with an approved battery éco-organisme (Corepile or Screlec)
• Report battery types and quantities placed on market
• Finance collection and recycling through eco-contributions
• Meet minimum recycled content requirements (phased introduction from 2027)

Amazon began enforcing battery EPR verification on Amazon.fr from mid-2025. Listings without valid battery registration numbers are deactivated.

Labeling requirements — the Triman logo

France has the most specific labeling requirements of any EU member state. The Triman logo (a stylized figure with three recycling arrows) must appear on all products and packaging subject to a sorting obligation, together with a sorting guide (Info-tri) in French explaining how the consumer should dispose of each component.

Since January 2022, the Info-tri must include specific sorting instructions (not just the Triman symbol alone). Products sold online must display this information on the product listing page.

Non-compliance with labeling requirements is enforced separately from registration obligations and can result in additional fines.

Authorized representative requirement

Non-French producers selling into France without a local establishment must appoint an authorized representative (mandataire) who assumes legal responsibility for the producer's EPR obligations. The representative must be established in France and is jointly liable for compliance failures.

Certify acts as authorized representative in France for all three core EPR categories — packaging, WEEE, and batteries — providing a single point of contact for multi-category compliance.