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EPR in France: UIN, Citeo and Triman
Last checked · 5 min read
EPR in France is broader than in any other EU country. Where most countries cover three or four product types, France has more than fifteen, from packaging to toys and garden tools. For every type you sell, you join an eco-organisation and receive a separate UIN number. Those are the numbers Amazon, ManoMano and Cdiscount ask you for.
- +France works with eco-organisations (PROs) per product type. For household packaging that is Citeo or Léko.
- +For each product type you receive a UIN (identifiant unique, also IDU). Sell packaged clothing and you need at least two: packaging and textiles.
- +The packaging declaration to Citeo for the previous year is due between 1 January and 28 February.
- +Marketplaces must collect your UIN or contribute on your behalf, and take your listings down when it is missing.
The AGEC law: why France covers so much
France's anti-waste law (loi AGEC, 2020) greatly extended the number of EPR schemes, in French REP (responsabilité élargie du producteur), and put enforcement in the hands of marketplaces. The result is a system where almost every physical product category has its own scheme, each with its own eco-organisations, fees and declarations.
For online sellers that is the main difference with Germany and the Netherlands: you have to check per product type whether a French scheme applies, not only for packaging.
Which product types are covered?
The schemes that most often apply to online sellers:
| Product type | Eco-organisation | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Household packaging | Citeo or Léko | Applies to virtually every webshop, shipping boxes included |
| Electrical and electronic equipment | ecosystem or Ecologic | See electronics (WEEE) |
| Batteries | Corepile or Screlec | Batteries inside devices too; see batteries |
| Textiles, household linen and footwear | Refashion | See textiles |
| Furniture | Ecomaison, or Valdelia for professional furniture | Mattresses and home decor too |
| Toys, sports and leisure, DIY and garden | Differs per category | Relevant for ManoMano and Amazon sellers |
The French environment agency ADEME keeps the full list of schemes and approved eco-organisations at filieres-rep.ademe.fr. Amazon counted nineteen categories in 2023.
The UIN number (identifiant unique)
Since 1 January 2022, every producer receives a unique identification number per scheme: the UIN, in French identifiant unique or IDU. You get it once you have joined the scheme's eco-organisation, and it is recorded in ADEME's producer register.
- One UIN per product type. A seller of battery-powered lamps in a box has three: packaging, electronics and batteries.
- Show it in your terms. You must include your UIN in your terms and conditions of sale, or another contractual document you give your customers.
- Give it to marketplaces. Amazon, ManoMano and Cdiscount ask for your UIN per category.
Packaging: joining Citeo and declaring
For household packaging you join Citeo (the largest eco-organisation) or Léko. Every year, between 1 January and 28 February, you declare the packaging you placed on the French market in the previous year. Citeo asks for more detail than most countries: not only the weight per material, but also the number of sales units and characteristics of the packaging.
The fee is eco-modulated: easily recyclable packaging earns a bonus, packaging that is hard to recycle or lacks correct sorting information a penalty. Recording packaging accurately per product can therefore also lower what you pay.
The Triman logo and Info-tri
France asks not only for money and data, but also for a label. Products and packaging covered by an EPR scheme that end up as household waste must carry the Triman logo, together with the Info-tri sorting instruction: which part goes in which bin. That applies to foreign sellers delivering to French consumers too.
Leaving it out risks a penalty on your Citeo fee and fines. Sorting labels will eventually be harmonised across the EU under the PPWR, but until then Triman remains the French standard.
Marketplaces: collect the UIN or pay
The AGEC law makes marketplaces jointly responsible. A platform must collect its sellers' UINs. When a seller has none, the platform must contribute for that seller itself. In practice: Amazon can deactivate non-compliant listings or comply on your behalf, and ManoMano and Cdiscount ask for your UINs when you list. See Amazon and other marketplaces.
Selling from another country?
Then the French rules apply in full: you are the producer for what you deliver to French customers. Many foreign sellers work with an authorised representative (mandataire) in France who handles membership and declarations. Under the PPWR, an authorised representative for packaging is required when you have no establishment in France, although that obligation is still being negotiated in Brussels.
Checklist for France
- 1List your product categories and check for each whether a French EPR scheme covers it.
- 2Join an approved eco-organisation per scheme and note your UINs.
- 3Add your UINs to your terms and conditions and enter them at Amazon, ManoMano and other marketplaces.
- 4Check that your packaging and products carry the Triman logo with Info-tri.
- 5Record what each product's packaging weighs, per material, and how many units you sell in France.
- 6Declare last year's packaging to Citeo by 28 February, and the other schemes on their own schedule.
Frequently asked questions
What is a UIN number?
A UIN (identifiant unique) is the registration number you receive in France per EPR scheme once you join an eco-organisation. It proves you take part in that scheme.
Do I need one UIN or several?
One per product type you are the producer of. Someone selling packaged electronics with a battery needs three.
When do I declare my packaging to Citeo?
Between 1 January and 28 February, for the packaging you placed on the French market in the previous calendar year.
Is the Triman logo mandatory for foreign sellers?
Yes, for products and packaging covered by a French EPR scheme that end up as household waste, wherever the seller is based.
What happens if I do not give Amazon a UIN?
Amazon can deactivate your listings in France or comply on your behalf. You then lose sight of what is declared in your name.
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This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules, thresholds and deadlines are set by the schemes themselves and they change. Check what applies to your situation with the scheme or an adviser.