France: PPWR Packaging EPR and Deposit Return

How Regulation (EU) 2025/40 (PPWR) applies in France: the national extended producer responsibility (EPR) scheme, small-producer thresholds, eco-modulation, and deposit return system status. PPWR is directly applicable in France from August 12, 2026.

EPR scheme

CITEO (household packaging) + Léko/ICP (industrial/commercial from Jan 1, 2026). Register at citeo.com.

Small-producer threshold

Flat-rate ~€80/year for producers placing ≤200 units or ≤5 kg/year. Confirm exact 2026 threshold with CITEO.

Eco-modulation

CITEO 2026 eco-modulation (household packaging) adjusts the per-UVC contribution. Maluses come in four levels, 10, 25, 50 and 100 percent, which add up across levels but not within one, except that the small-beverage and multipack maluses, both 25 percent, may be combined: 10 percent for board metallized over its whole surface; 25 percent for beverage formats of 0.5 L or less and for plastic promotional or shelf-display multipacks; 50 percent for rigid PET with a density below 1 or rigid PE and PP above 1, for rigid PET combined with rigid plastic above density 1, and for PET bottles with unperforated PETg, PLA or PS sleeves; 100 percent for rigid packaging combined with aluminum, PVC or silicone above density 1, dark rigid plastic that optical sorting cannot detect (carbon black named), glass other than soda-lime, and soda-lime glass with an infusible element. CITEO says the levels are designed to rise over time. Composite plastic (tariff 6.6.2, 140.01 ct/kg) and PVC (6.7, 210.01 ct/kg) are priced in the base tariff rather than by malus, and the opaque rigid PET malus was withdrawn for 2026. Bonuses: one proportional to the weight or void reduction achieved, 100 percent for new reusable packaging, 4 percent for sorting-awareness messaging, and a per-kg premium for recycled plastic set by a new arrêté [LOCKED, CITEO Guide tarif emballages ménagers 2026, pp. 27 and 30 to 33].

Deposit return system

Watch points

Triman + Info-Tri sorting instructions still required on French consumer packaging. ICP B2B rate via Léko effective Jan 1, 2026, confirm scope and rate. Deposit for recycling: the ecology minister stated at the June 30, 2026 Plan plastique consultation that it becomes mandatory January 1, 2029, citing a 58.4 percent beverage container collection rate in 2024 against the 90 percent goal. Local authority associations and NGOs walked out of that session and the Senate committee opposed the measure on May 19, 2026, so the delivery route is contested even though the date is now stated [SIGNALED].

Indicative EPR fees (CITEO 2026 official rate guide)

All 27 member states