France’s extended producer responsibility (EPR) programme is gaining renewed global attention as governments seek sustainable ways to reduce plastic pollution.
Launched over three decades ago, the system shifts the environmental burden of packaging waste from taxpayers to producers, requiring manufacturers to fund and manage the entire lifecycle of packaging.
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With World Environment Day on 5 June highlighting the challenge of plastic waste, many countries are evaluating EPR as a potential solution.
How France’s EPR system works
Under France’s model, companies that produce or sell packaged products must contribute financially to the collection, sorting, recycling, and reduction of packaging waste.
These payments are managed by producer responsibility organisations (PROs) such as Citeo, which oversees both packaging and graphic paper. In 2023, this amounted to €1.6 billion, funding recycling infrastructure, eco-design initiatives, and public awareness campaigns.
Jean Hornain, CEO of Citeo, described the goal as building a circular economy, in which packaging materials are used more efficiently, reused when possible, and recycled after use.
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By GlobalDataHe acknowledged that while EPR does lead to small cost increases—roughly one or two euro cents per item—the long-term environmental and economic savings outweigh these costs.
Political support and public collaboration
Unlike tax-based schemes, France’s EPR programme has remained politically resilient due to its collaborative structure. Fees paid by companies are reinvested directly into local recycling systems rather than diverted into general government revenue.
This approach fosters shared responsibility among businesses, municipalities, and citizens, helping to depoliticise the issue and create a stable funding mechanism for waste management.
Hornain said that although the system is not without inefficiencies, its core principle—that producers must bear responsibility for the environmental impact of their packaging—has never been seriously contested.
Broad political and public consensus has helped cement the programme’s longevity and credibility.
Global relevance amid rising plastic pollution
As plastic pollution intensifies worldwide, EPR is increasingly seen as a practical policy tool. Countries participating in the upcoming round of UN-led negotiations in Geneva in August are expected to consider it as part of a global plastics treaty.
Hornain highlighted key factors for a successful EPR system: mandatory compliance, robust oversight to ensure all companies participate, engagement from all stakeholders, and support for informal waste pickers.
He noted that programmes must also prioritise waste reduction at the design stage, not just focus on end-of-life recycling.
France is now expanding its reuse initiatives. Starting this summer, pilot projects in four regions will test standardised reusable packaging, such as refillable beer and milk bottles.
These efforts aim to reduce the reliance on virgin plastic and reinforce the principles of a circular economy.
Currently, around 70% of household packaging in France is recycled, and momentum is growing for reuse schemes.
While EPR alone cannot resolve the plastic crisis, Hornain argues it remains a critical component of the broader strategy to reduce environmental harm and manage resources more responsibly.
