Household packaging and graphic papers sold in France must carry the Info-tri, the French sorting information that includes the Triman logo, whatever the country they come from, EU or non-EU. The obligation applies since 1 January 2022. The official files come with membership of Citeo or Léko, which we open for you; the artwork stays with you and your designer.
This guide covers packaging and graphic papers, the case almost every seller meets. Electrical equipment, batteries, textiles, furniture, toys, sports, DIY and household chemicals have their own markings: see French sorting info across every EPR scheme.
Who must mark?#
The producer that places household packaging or graphic papers on the French market: whoever owns the goods when they enter France (the transfer of ownership decides, not the brand or the Incoterm), including when the goods then ship from Amazon FBA or a third-party warehouse. Origin does not matter. A German, Spanish, US or Chinese brand selling to French households marks its packaging exactly like a French one, and a registration in another country (a German LUCID number, a Polish BDO number) does not cover France.
What is in scope and what is not:
- In scope: household packaging (boxes, bottles, jars, pouches, films, the shipping box delivered to a consumer) and graphic papers.
- Out of scope: packaging of products used only by professionals. A package also sold to households stays household packaging, even when a business buys it.
- Exempt: glass beverage bottles. Voluntary marking is recommended.
Dates. The marking is mandatory since 1 January 2022. Packaging made or imported before then could be sold off until 9 March 2023; that period is over, so every unit now on the French market must be marked.
The four blocks, and what is forbidden#
A compliant marking has four blocks, read from left to right or top to bottom:
- The Triman, the common sorting logo. It is not a recyclability claim: it only tells the consumer that a sorting rule applies.
- The banner, the header strip of the Info-tri.
- The elements: each separable element the consumer handles (box, bottle, cap, film, sleeve), shown as text, pictogram or both.
- The destination of each element (the sorting bin, or the glass bank for glass).
List what the consumer actually separates. A bottle with its cap is one gesture when the cap stays on; a lid in a different material from the jar is a separate element. A pouch that cannot be separated is one element.
What is forbidden in the Info-tri:
- the name of the material (the element is "box", not "cardboard");
- the words "à recycler";
- a household waste pictogram (the bin for residual waste).
Remove old sorting mentions while you are at it, and the Green Dot: it is not mandatory and does not mean recyclable.
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Sizes and colours#
- Triman: at least 10 mm in the standard format, 6 mm in the compact format. The compact format is only for tight spaces and is never shrunk further.
- Text: at least 5 pt.
- Colours: your eco-organisation's guide sets them. Léko does not allow a white Triman. Citeo accepts a reversed Triman if it stays legible. Follow the guide of the eco-organisation you belong to rather than a generic rule.
Never redraw or distort the logo: use the official files (see below).
Where to place it#
On the packaging, on a surface the consumer sees without opening or dismantling it. Never inside the packaging. A side panel or the back of the box is fine.
Stickers. Léko accepts a sticker on the packaging, including to relabel stock already produced. That is the usual route for a seller whose packaging is printed for several markets, or who discovers the obligation with goods already in a French warehouse. If you are a Citeo member, follow the Citeo guide.
For the shipping box of an online order, see E-commerce parcels and stickers.
Three or more elements, and leaflets#
Packaging with many separable elements (a gift box with an insert, a jar, a lid, a sleeve) still lists every element the consumer separates, each with its destination. When space runs short, use the layouts of your eco-organisation's guide rather than dropping elements. When a leaflet or instruction sheet accompanies the product and the packaging is too small to carry the Info-tri, the Info-tri goes on the leaflet (see the next section).
Small packaging and dematerialisation#
Small packaging can move part or all of the marking online, but the obligation remains:
| Packaging | Rule |
|---|---|
| Largest face under 10 cm² | Triman and Info-tri can both be dematerialised |
| Largest face 10 to 20 cm² | Triman on the packaging; Info-tri can be dematerialised |
| Round packaging under 20 cm² | Triman and Info-tri can both be dematerialised |
| Round packaging 20 to 40 cm² | The banner can be dematerialised |
| A leaflet accompanies the product | The Info-tri goes on the leaflet |
Products sold in France and abroad#
The Info-tri is a French marking. When one artwork serves several countries:
- place the FR tab first, so the consumer sees the rule applies in France;
- do not translate the Info-tri;
- export versions: Léko requires a monochrome export version; Citeo only for multi-country versions.
If the packaging carries other national markings, keep each one complete rather than merging them.
Getting the official files#
The official files are not public downloads. They come with membership:
- Citeo: the Easy Info-tri generator, in the Citeo client area.
- Léko: licensed files in the member document area, which you compose yourself.
Both are available only after membership, and neither eco-organisation validates your artwork: the responsibility for the final marking stays with the producer.
That is where we come in. As a French authorised representative, we open your Citeo or Léko membership in your name, which gives you access to the files. The artwork stays with you and your designer: we do not design, generate or validate markings.
Penalties#
Under Article L. 541-9-4 of the French Environmental Code, a missing or wrong marking can be fined up to EUR 3,000 for an individual and EUR 15,000 for a company, per non-compliant reference. Checks are carried out by the DGCCRF, the French consumer protection authority.
Two points worth knowing. On a catalogue of many references the exposure adds up, one reference at a time. And the marking has no effect on your eco-contribution: the 2027 Citeo and Léko scales carry no bonus or malus linked to Info-tri; the marking is a legal requirement. The only related premium (4%) rewards off-pack media awareness campaigns.
What comes with the PPWR#
Regulation (EU) 2025/40 (PPWR) creates a harmonised EU sorting label for packaging, which will replace national packaging labels such as the Triman. Citeo has announced the following timeline: application in 2028, a stock sell-off period from 2028 to 2031, and the EU marking on all packaging in 2032. Until then the Triman and the Info-tri stay mandatory in France. The state of play is in EU sorting-label harmonisation: PPWR and the Triman.
FAQ#
Is the Info-tri mandatory for a foreign seller?#
Yes. Household packaging and graphic papers placed on the French market carry the Info-tri, with the Triman logo, whatever their origin, EU or non-EU. The obligation applies since 1 January 2022; the sell-off period for older stock ended on 9 March 2023. Packaging of products used only by professionals is out of scope.
Where do I get the official Info-tri and Triman files?#
From your eco-organisation, once you are a member. Citeo provides the Easy Info-tri generator in its client area; Léko provides licensed files in its member document area, which you compose yourself. Neither eco-organisation validates your artwork. We open the membership for you; the artwork stays with you and your designer.
Is a sticker enough?#
Léko accepts a sticker on the packaging, including to relabel stock already produced. The marking must sit on the packaging, never inside it. If you are a Citeo member, follow the Citeo guide.
What about the shipping box?#
Citeo treats the shipping box delivered to a consumer as packaging to be marked, and its 2027 guide counts a parcel made of a box, tape and void fill as three units. Packaging sold only to professionals is out of scope, but a package also sold to households stays household packaging.
Does the Info-tri change my eco-contribution?#
No. The 2027 Citeo and Léko scales carry no bonus or malus linked to Info-tri; the marking is a legal requirement. The only related premium (4%) rewards off-pack media awareness campaigns.
Do glass bottles need the Info-tri?#
Glass beverage bottles are exempt from the obligation; voluntary marking is recommended. The exemption covers glass beverage packaging only: other household packaging keeps the Info-tri and the Triman.
What is the penalty for a missing Info-tri?#
Up to €3,000 for an individual or €15,000 for a company, per non-compliant reference, under Article L. 541-9-4 of the French Environmental Code. Checks are carried out by the DGCCRF, the French consumer protection authority.
Info-tri for foreign brands designing their packaging#
Before your packaging artwork goes to print for France, run through these points. They summarise the published rules of Citeo and Léko; your eco-organisation’s guide prevails on the detail.
- Check the scope: household packaging and graphic papers sold in France carry the Info-tri, whatever their origin. Packaging of products used only by professionals is out of scope; a package also sold to households stays household packaging.
- Plan the membership before the artwork: the official files come only with membership (the Easy Info-tri generator at Citeo, licensed files to compose yourself at Léko).
- List every separable element the consumer handles (box, bottle, cap, film, sleeve), each with its destination.
- Leave out the name of the material, the words “à recycler” and any household waste pictogram; remove the Green Dot.
- Respect the sizes: Triman at least 10 mm, or 6 mm in the compact format, text at least 5 pt; colours follow your eco-organisation’s guide.
- Place the marking on the packaging, on a surface seen without opening it, never inside.
- Small packaging: check the 10 and 20 cm² thresholds (20 and 40 cm² for round packaging) before moving part of the marking online; if a leaflet accompanies the product and the packaging is too small, the Info-tri goes on the leaflet.
- Artwork shared with other countries: FR tab first, Info-tri not translated, export version as your eco-organisation requires (Léko: monochrome export version; Citeo: only for multi-country versions).
- Stock already printed: Léko accepts a sticker on the packaging, including to relabel existing stock; Citeo members follow the Citeo guide.
- Online orders: Citeo treats the shipping box delivered to a consumer as packaging to be marked.
- Glass beverage bottles are exempt (voluntary marking recommended); other household packaging is not.
- Nobody validates your artwork, neither Citeo nor Léko: the final marking stays the producer’s responsibility. A missing Info-tri can cost up to €3,000 (individual) or €15,000 (company) per reference, Article L. 541-9-4.
We open your Citeo or Léko membership, which gives you the official files, obtain your identifier and file your declarations. The artwork stays with you and your designer: we do not design, generate or validate markings.
Open the membership that gives you the files#
If you sell household packaging into France without a French establishment, we join Citeo or Léko in your name, obtain your identifier and file your declarations. You then download the official files and your designer applies them. Request a written quote: it arrives within one business day. Stream details: household packaging, Citeo, Léko.
Sources#
- Article L. 541-9-3 of the French Environmental Code (sorting information obligation) and Article L. 541-9-4 (penalties), Légifrance
- Léko, Info-tri user guide (2024)
- Citeo, simplified Info-tri guide (2025)
- Citeo and Léko, 2027 household packaging scales (published 30 September 2026, both revised 8 October 2026)
- Regulation (EU) 2025/40 (PPWR), EUR-Lex
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