The packaging law in France is a substantial factor for compliance not only for French companies, but also for cross-border e-commerce. In accordance with the EU packaging waste directive and its successor, the packaging waste regulation, any business that sells packaged goods to French end-consumers needs to register their packaging with a French recycling scheme. We have summarized the most important aspects of the French packaging law in this article.
The packaging law in France: recycling obligations for e-commerce
Why must packaging be registered for recycling in France?
We are frequently being asked by online retailers why they must register their packaging with a recycling scheme in France. Particularly if they have already obtained a German packaging license. However, the reason is rather self-evident. By licensing packaging, manufacturers, importers, and retailers make a financial contribution towards the organization of a nation-wide recycling system. Since the recycling schemes are limited by state borders, the license is required where the packaging ends up as waste. If a product is sold cross-border to a consumer in France, its packaging must also be recycled in France. Hence, the contribution must be payed to a French recycling scheme and not in its country of origin.
Unfortunately, the governments of the EU have not yet managed to create a unified recycling scheme for the whole European Single Market. Therefore, a packaging license must be obtained in France as well as in all other EU member states separately. This obviously leads to a lot of frustration among e-commerce businesses which sell internationally, as it increases the bureaucratic burden for compliance management by quite a bit. We have consequently created a digital compliance service to assist online retailers across Europe.
Who must license packaging in France?
Whoever sells cross-border to consumers in France needs to fulfill the same rules as a French business would and must register with a French recycling scheme. The packaging law in France therefore applies to German, Austrian, UK, or even American and Chinese companies as well. Registration is compulsory from the first package shipped to France. Unfortunately, this makes participation in a French recycling scheme uneconomical for businesses that only sell a hand full of packages to France. The only exception to the licensing obligations would be for pure B2B-retailers outside of France, as in this case the French importer takes over the obligation for registration.
Characteristics of the French packaging law
There is a preference for sustainable packaging defined by the French packaging law. Producers placing highly recyclable packaging on the market receive a discount on recycling fees. The same applies to packaging made from recycled materials.
However, only companies that submit a detailed declaration and relevant documents can benefit from this discount. To lower this barrier and reduce administrative effort, a simplified declaration is offered as an alternative. A detailed declaration becomes mandatory only once a total of 500,000 products sold annually in France is exceeded.
“Identifiant Unique” (Unique Identification Number) as proof of compliance
Since 2022, the French environmental agency ADEME provides a “Identifiant Unique” (Unique Identification Number) to all companies that are compliant with the French recycling laws. The Identifiant Unique can be obtained from the French recycling schemes where you license your packaging. Amazon, for instance, requires this number from its sellers to verify that sellers are compliant. This obligation for marketplaces such as Amazon arises due to the market surveillance regulation of the EU and other new regulations, such as the packaging waste regulation and the textile EPR directive. They must ensure that sellers on the platform abide by the laws. Sellers without the Identifiant Unique will therefore be blocked from selling on Amazon.
Labelling obligations for packaging in France
In 2015, a decree to the French waste law has introduced a recycling symbol specific to recyclable packaging in France. Foreign companies must use it, too, if they sell to French customers. We have summarized all information regarding the French recycling symbol in this article:
However, there are going to be some changes to the labelling obligations associated with the packaging waste regulation. It is therefore recommendable to always stay up to date with the help of a compliance consultant.
Recycling in France
Similar to Germany and most other OECD countries, packaging waste is collected separately and ends up in a recycling stream. The same goes for electronics, glass, and textiles, which all have separate containers or collection sites. With the principle of “extended producer responsibility” stipulated by the French packaging law, the recycling system is primarily financed by companies that place packaged goods on the market. Similar systems exist in France for electronics, batteries, textiles, furniture and as the only country in Europe also for sports equipment, toys, and more. Just like packaging, these items must be registered with the responsible institutions and recycling schemes. Producers, importers, and retailers then pay a recycling fee which depends on the annual quantities.
The EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) provides clear targets for recycling and reuse rates. In France, the Anti-Waste for a Circular Economy (AGEC) Law and the 3R Decree on Reduction, Reuse, and Recycling also set key targets. These include, for example, a target recycling rate of 90% for plastic bottles by 2029 and a 15% reduction in household packaging waste by 2030 compared to 2010. Furthermore, by 2030, 100% of packaging waste should be recyclable. Due to the increase of recycling quotas, we also expect the pressure for e-commerce businesses placing products on the market to rise in the coming years as well.
Reporting requirement for transport packaging in France
From July 1, 2026, transport and industrial packaging in France will be subject to a mandatory registration and reporting requirement. Registration and quantity reporting can be carried out with recycling systems from July 1, 2026. The reporting requirement does not apply retroactively. Therefore, only transport packaging placed on the market from July 2026 onwards must be reported.
Transport packaging is defined as all packaging intended to facilitate the handling and transport of multiple sales units and to prevent damage during handling and transport. It is not disposed of by the end consumer.
Save time on bureaucracy with our packaging compliance service
We assist your compliance management with our digitized service. It allows you to get all the information you need for handling your recycling obligations in France and all other EU member countries. You will receive step-by-step manuals and recommended recycling-schemes, all tailored towards your business needs, and all in one place. If you do not have any internal capacities, you can even outsource compliance management altogether with our Premium Service. In case of any questions, please feel free to contact us or read through our FAQ.
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