Pillar guide · Streams

The 10 French EPR streams.
Which apply to your catalog, and how to register for each.

A single product can fall under several streams. A Bluetooth speaker triggers packaging + WEEE + batteries — three filings, three IDUs. This pillar walks through every stream so you can identify your exact scope.

Quick answer. France runs more than ten regulated EPR streams under the AGEC law of 2020. Each stream is operated by one or more accredited eco-organisms, each issues its own IDU, each requires a separate annual declaration. A typical non-EU consumer brand falls under 2 to 4 streams. Heavy industrial exporters can hit 5 or more. The pillar guide for the legal framework that creates these streams is at /guides/french-epr-legal-framework.

Accredited eco-organisms at a glance

Wine, spirits, glass-heavy packaging

Textile, linen, footwear

Ecomaison

Furniture, toys, sports/DIY

Valdelia

Professional furniture

Inert mineral materials

The 10 streams at a glance

Stream	Eco-organism(s)	In scope when…
Household packaging	Citeo, Léko, Adelphe	Any product shipped to a French consumer in a box, polybag, jar, or bottle.
WEEE (electronics)	Ecosystem, Ecologic	Anything with a plug, battery, cable, or electronic circuit.
Textile / TLC	Refashion	Clothing, footwear, household linen, fashion accessories.
Furniture / DEA	Ecomaison, Valdelia	Furniture, mattresses, bedding, structural home decor.
Batteries	Corepile, Screlec	Loose cells and batteries embedded in any device.
Toys	Ecomaison	Any product intended for children under 14.
Sports, DIY, garden	Ecomaison	Bikes, fitness gear, hand tools, non-motorized garden items.
Graphic paper	Citeo, Léko	Printed catalogs, magazines, advertising mailings distributed in France.
Construction / PMCB	Valobat, Ecominéro	Building materials, panels, insulation, tiles, fixtures.
Pro packaging / EPRO	Citeo Pro	B2B packaging shipped to French professional buyers.

How to identify your scope in 2 minutes

Three diagnostic questions catch ~95% of stream stacking:

What is the box made of? Cardboard? Plastic? Glass? You are in scope of household packaging (Citeo/Léko/Adelphe). If you ship to French professional buyers, you also need EPRO via Citeo Pro.
Does the product plug, charge or contain a battery? WEEE (Ecosystem or Ecologic) covers electronics. Embedded batteries trigger batteries EPR (Corepile or Screlec) on top.
Is the product textile, furniture, toy, sports/DIY, building material or printed paper? Each of these is a separate stream — Refashion, Ecomaison, Ecomaison (toys), Ecomaison (sports/DIY), Valobat or Ecominéro, graphic paper.

For an automated first answer, our scope-check diagnostic tool returns a verdict in 90 seconds.

Cost per stream

Each stream costs roughly the same operationally:

Representative fee: €490 setup + €249/month per stream. See full pricing.
Eco-organism membership: €80-€450 per year per stream, depending on eco-organism.
Eco-contribution: variable, scales with declared tonnage. See the calculation guide.

One mandate, all streams

A single representative mandate can cover any number of streams. You sign once, and the representative handles all the eco-organism dossiers in parallel. Total elapsed time from mandate signature to live IDUs on SYDEREP: 2 to 3 weeks regardless of the number of streams.

Common scoping mistakes

Filing for packaging only when your product also has batteries

A USB-rechargeable device contains a battery — embedded or detachable — and triggers the batteries stream in addition to packaging and WEEE.

Confusing toys with sports/DIY for older children

Products intended for children under 14 are toys (Ecomaison). Bicycles, fitness equipment and other items for ages 14+ are sports/DIY (also Ecomaison but different declaration).

Treating the outer shipping carton as separate from packaging

The shipping carton your D2C order ships in is household packaging and is in scope. Weight counts toward your declared tonnage.

Missing the printed insert / manual in scope of graphic paper

A printed user manual, catalog or marketing insert distributed with your product in France is in scope of graphic paper EPR if you exceed the de minimis threshold.

Frequently asked questions

How many EPR streams will my product trigger?

Most consumer products trigger 2 to 4 streams. A pure cosmetic in a jar triggers packaging only (1 stream). A Bluetooth speaker triggers packaging + WEEE + batteries (3 streams). A children’s ride-on toy with a battery triggers toys + WEEE + batteries + packaging (4 streams). The 90-second diagnostic in this guide and our scope-check tool give the answer.

Do I have to pick between Citeo, Léko and Adelphe?

For household packaging, yes — you pick one as your primary accredited eco-organism. Citeo is the largest and most common. Adelphe is owned by Citeo and historically specialises in wine, spirits and glass-heavy packaging. Léko is the independent competitor. All three issue valid IDUs; marketplaces accept any.

Can one mandate cover all streams or do I sign one per stream?

One mandate covers all streams you are in scope of. We list the streams in a single annex, file in parallel with each eco-organism, and you receive multiple IDUs from one operational engagement. The €490 setup + €249/month price is per stream, but the mandate itself is unified.

What happens if I file for packaging but miss WEEE?

Marketplaces flag this immediately on quarterly audits. Amazon France suspends listings; the seller is given 30 days to remediate. ADEME can also issue a mise en demeure for the unregistered stream. Filing a missing stream takes 2 to 3 weeks; during that window listings are typically off.

How do I know if I am in scope of professional packaging (EPRO) or only household packaging?

B2C — selling to French consumers via Amazon, Shopify, marketplaces — is household packaging only. B2B — selling to French companies, hospitals, restaurants, contractors — adds EPRO via Citeo Pro. Pure B2C sellers do not need EPRO. Mixed B2C+B2B sellers need both.

Are construction materials really an EPR stream in France?

Yes, since 1 January 2023. The PMCB stream (Produits et Matériaux de Construction du Bâtiment) covers building materials, panels, insulation, tiles, plumbing fixtures and similar. Operated by Valobat and Ecominéro. Catches a lot of non-EU exporters by surprise.