Under the provisions of the French Climate and Resilience Law, businesses selling food products to food service professionals are required to reduce the environmental impact of primary packaging for these products from 15 March 2024. Anyone with a main or secondary professional activity in the food service industry is concerned. It is relevant to all types of food service activity, such as restaurants, canteens, hotels, service stations and fast-food outlets.  

The scheme only applies to primary* food product packaging placed on the market in French territory and consumed or used specifically by food service professionals. 

The order of 20 July 2023 sets out the specific rules for identifying primary* food product packaging that comes under the EPR scheme for food service packaging, depending on the volume or mass of the packaged product.  

If the volume or mass of your packaged products is greater than the values laid down in the order, the packaging falls within the scope of the EPR scheme for food service packaging. This type of packaging is called “large-format packaging”. 

If the volume or mass of your packaged products is lower than or equal to the values laid down in the order, the packaging is considered mixed commercial/household food packaging and is not included in the scope of the EPR scheme. This type of packaging is called « small-format packaging » and is covered by the EPR scheme for household packaging and graphic papers.  

If you only distribute your products to the food service sector and have only mixed commercial/household food packaging, all you need to do is declare this packaging to Citeo, Adelphe or any other company accredited under the EPR scheme for household packaging and graphic papers.  

*Definition pulled from Article R543-43 of the French Environmental Code: “Sales or primary packaging is designed to form part of a sales item targeted at final users or consumers at a point of sale”.