Citeo vs. Léko vs. Adelphe: Which Packaging Eco-Organism Should You Choose?

Three French eco-organisms are approved to run the household packaging EPR stream: Citeo, Léko and Adelphe. All three are private, State-approved non-profits that collect eco-contributions and fund collection and recycling. Producers join exactly one per stream, and the choice is contractual, not legal: all three deliver the same unique identifier (IDU), the same regulatory cover and the same marketplace acceptance. This guide covers household packaging; for the B2B equivalent (Citeo Pro, Léko Pro and Twiice, contributions from 1 January 2027), see our professional packaging EPR page.

Which one should you pick, in one paragraph?#

Unless you sell wine, spirits or pharmaceutical products (Adelphe's sectors), the choice is between Citeo and Léko. Citeo is the market reference and the default for most mixed consumer-goods catalogues. Léko's weight rates sit slightly below Citeo's on most materials, its small-producer floor works differently, and it claims no earlier years when you join late. The savings are real but modest at most foreign-seller volumes, so pick on your material mix and your history in France, then revisit at renewal if your volumes grow.

Citeo: the market reference#

Citeo was formed in 2017 from the merger of Eco-Emballages and Ecofolio, the historic packaging and graphic-paper eco-organisms. It holds the largest share of registered producers and declared tonnage, and its schedule is the one every other grid is read against.

Strengths for foreign sellers:

• The reference schedule, with the most developed eco-modulation.
• A flat fee for small producers: €110 under 10,000 consumer units (UVC), in 2026 and 2027.
• The identifier about seven business days after the membership is validated.

Watch for:

• Weight rates slightly above Léko's on most materials.
• Citeo can claim contributions for one earlier year when you join late.

Best fit: most foreign producers, especially first-time registrants with a mixed catalogue. Read the Citeo page for the full registration picture.

Léko: the challenger#

Léko is the challenger eco-organism for household packaging and graphic paper, in competition with Citeo under the same State-set rules.

Strengths:

• Weight rates slightly below Citeo's on most materials: up to about 4% in 2026, about 1% in 2027.
• No claim on earlier years when you join: retroactivity is nil at Léko.
• A simplified grid for small producers that stays roughly unchanged in 2027.

Watch for:

• PVC and aluminium are dearer at Léko than at Citeo in 2027.
• The small-producer floor moves: a €95 minimum with a €150 cap under 20,000 UVC in 2026, then a €110 minimum in 2027, with the simplified declaration capped at €180 under 10,000 UVC (2027 grid of 8 October 2026).
• The identifier comes about five business days after the initial Léko invoice is paid; that invoice must be paid within five business days, otherwise the membership is cancelled.

Best fit: cost-sensitive producers with a cardboard-heavy or paper-heavy mix, and late joiners with past sales in France. Read the Léko page.

Adelphe: the sector specialist#

Adelphe is a Citeo subsidiary (85% Citeo, 15% held by the French wine and spirits professional associations) with schedules and reporting templates adapted to wine, spirits and pharmaceutical packaging. It runs on Citeo's operational infrastructure.

Best fit: producers of wine, spirits or pharmaceutical products, where the packaging profile (glass bottles, blisters) is tracked separately. Read the Adelphe page for the precise scope. We register clients with Citeo and Léko today; for Adelphe, we confirm availability with your quote.

How do the floors and rates compare?#

Published floors and weight rates (Citeo and Léko tariff guides 2026 and 2027; Léko 2027 grid of 8 October 2026 and Citeo 2027 guide updated 8 October 2026, each replacing its 30 September version):

Léko's weight rates sit slightly below Citeo's on most materials: up to about 4% in 2026, about 1% in 2027 since Citeo revised its 2027 guide downward on 8 October 2026, with exceptions both ways (PVC and aluminium are dearer at Léko in 2027). For a producer declaring 5,000 kg/year of mixed packaging, the 2027 gap is a few euros (mostly cardboard: 5,000 kg × 0.14 euro cents = €7) to about fifty euros (mostly PE or PP plastics: 5,000 kg × 0.96 euro cents = €48) a year, by our calculation. The full material-by-material comparison is in our analysis of the 2027 grids.

What matters beyond the rate?#

Three operational points matter more than the headline rate for most producers with no French establishment.

Your history in France. Registration is due from your first sale in France, and eco-organisations can claim contributions for earlier years: one at Citeo, none at Léko. Identifiers are never backdated. If you have already sold in France without registering, this line can outweigh years of rate differences, and we tell you before signing whether earlier years are at stake.

Marketplace acceptance. All three eco-organisms issue valid identifiers that French marketplaces accept. No differentiation.

Switching. Switching is contractual and reversible: you end the outgoing contract within its notice terms and join the new eco-organism for the following year. Pick one now and revisit at renewal if your volumes change.

Who files the declaration, whichever you choose?#

Whichever eco-organism you join, the steps are the same:

1. Your packaging profile is prepared: materials, units and weights per reference.
2. We file your membership within two business days of receiving the signed mandate, the first invoice payment and the deposit.
3. The eco-organism issues the identifier on its own timing (about seven business days after the membership is validated at Citeo; about five business days after the initial invoice is paid at Léko (payable within five business days, otherwise the membership is cancelled)).
4. Household packaging is declared once a year: at Citeo, 2027 placements are declared from January to the end of February 2028; at Léko, before 1 March 2028.

You remain the producer. Under the written mandate required by Article L. 541-10-9-1 of the French Environmental Code, we take charge of and answer for your registration, your identifier, your declarations, the exchanges with the eco-organisation and audits, and the archiving of your files. Your eco-contributions stay invoiced to you and paid by you directly to the eco-organisation.

FAQ#

Which household packaging eco-organism should a foreign seller join in France?#

Citeo, Léko and Adelphe are the three approved eco-organisations for French household packaging, and joining any one of them meets the same legal obligation. Citeo is the default for most catalogues, Léko is often slightly cheaper per kilo in its 2026 and 2027 grids, and Adelphe is the Citeo subsidiary for wine, spirits and pharmaceutical packaging. Pick on your material mix, then request a written quote.

Does it matter legally which one I pick?#

No. All three are approved for household packaging and deliver the same unique identifier (IDU), the same regulatory cover and the same marketplace acceptance. The choice is contractual: it is driven by the published schedules, the small-producer floors, the declaration format and the sector focus, not by a compliance requirement.

Does the choice change my eco-contribution?#

Yes, at the margin. Léko's weight rates sit slightly below Citeo's on most materials: up to about 4% in 2026, about 1% in 2027 since Citeo revised its 2027 guide downward on 8 October 2026, with exceptions both ways (PVC and aluminium are dearer at Léko in 2027). For a producer declaring 5,000 kg of mixed packaging in 2027, the gap is a few euros (mostly cardboard: 5,000 kg × 0.14 euro cents = €7) to about fifty euros (mostly PE or PP plastics: 5,000 kg × 0.96 euro cents = €48) a year, by our calculation.

How long does each one take to issue the identifier?#

It depends on the eco-organisation. Citeo issues the identifier about seven business days after the membership is validated. Léko issues it about five business days after its initial invoice is paid; that invoice must be paid within five business days, otherwise the membership is cancelled. We file your membership within two business days of receiving the signed mandate, the first invoice payment and the deposit.

Can I switch eco-organism later?#

Yes. Switching is contractual: you end the contract with the outgoing eco-organisation within its notice terms and sign with the incoming one for the following year. Your declaration and payment obligations for the packaging already placed on the market stay with the outgoing one. Read the notice clause of the contract you sign before you rely on a switching date.

Does your representative fee change depending on which one I join?#

No. Our fee for the household packaging stream is the same whether you join Citeo, Léko or Adelphe: a fixed annual amount per stream, confirmed in a written quote within one business day. We take no percentage and no margin on the eco-contribution or on the membership fee, whichever eco-organisation you choose.

Which one fits your packaging?#

Send your packaging profile through the onboarding form (material mix, annual French volume, consumer or professional customers) and we recommend Citeo, Léko or Adelphe for your case, with a written quote within one business day. See how our pricing works.

Sources & references#

All legal and regulatory claims in this article trace back to the following primary sources. Rates and floors from the Citeo and Léko tariff guides for 2026 and 2027 (Léko 2027 grid of 8 October 2026 and Citeo 2027 guide updated 8 October 2026, each replacing its 30 September version).

• SYDEREP, registre public des producteurs (ADEME)
• Citeo, éco-organisme emballages ménagers
• Léko, éco-organisme emballages
• Adelphe, éco-organisme vin, spiritueux, pharma (filiale Citeo)
• Cadre général des filières REP, Ministère de la Transition écologique