CITEO
Citeo is the non-profit producer responsibility organisation (PRO) in France mandated to manage Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) obligations for household packaging and graphic paper placed on the French market. Established as a mission-led organisation approved by the French authorities, Citeo supports companies in financing and organising the collection, sorting, recycling, eco-design and reuse of plastic, glass, metal, paper and cardboard packaging waste. Members benefit from expert guidance, compliance tools, such as unique identifier numbers and sorting information labels, and services designed to help them meet both French and European regulatory requirements. Citeo’s activities are grounded in the French Environmental Code and the anti-waste and circular economy framework.
System Description
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Under the French EPR model, producers, importers, retailers and marketplaces placing packaging or graphic paper on the French market must ensure environmentally responsible end-of-life management under the Environmental Code. Citeo operates as an approved Producer Responsibility Organization, pooling contributions from its members and allocating them to finance the national system for waste collection, sorting, recycling and reuse. Contributions are calibrated based on metrics such as Consumer Sales Units for packaging and tonnage for graphic paper, and members receive a Unique Identifier Number (UIN) and access to the compulsory sorting label files required under French law. Citeo also coordinates with local authorities, waste management operators and industry partners to improve infrastructure and meet performance targets set by public authorities.
Communication activities
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Citeo runs extensive communication and awareness-raising programmes to promote correct sorting behaviour and to engage both consumers and businesses in circular economy practices.
These activities include national campaigns and digital tools such as easy Info-tri, which allows companies to generate compliant on-pack sorting instructions, compulsory under French sorting regulation since 2022.
Citeo also provides educational resources, participates in public outreach initiatives and collaborates with partners to harmonise sorting messages across regions, helping to increase public participation in recycling programmes. Through media campaigns and stakeholder engagement, Citeo aims to demystify recycling requirements and encourage broader participation in waste reduction and material recovery efforts.
Prevention
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Prevention and circular-design form a core pillar of Citeo’s strategy. The organisation actively promotes the 3Rs hierarchy , Reduce, Reuse and Recycle , by helping companies minimise material use, improve product design for recyclability, and scale reuse systems. Citeo invests in calls for projects such as “EncoRE plus de Réemploi”, financing initiatives to expand reuse solutions and standardise reusable packaging loops in multiple French regions. These efforts are complemented by citizen awareness campaigns that encourage reduction of packaging waste and correct sorting habits. Through sustained investment in prevention, Citeo supports systemic change toward more responsible production and consumption patterns in France.
Contact
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Citeo Headquarters:
50 Boulevard Haussmann, 75009 Paris, France
Official contact page: https://www.citeo.com/contacts/
Citeo also maintains dedicated client service support for current members and has specific portals for FAQs, technical support and sorting information generation.