French Environmental Labeling Requirements

September 7, 2022 | Written by GreenSoft Technology, Inc.

France Implements New Environmental Labeling Decree for Electronics and Other Products

French environmental labeling requirements for consumer products, including electrical and electronic equipment, take effect on January 1, 2023

On April 29, 2022, France published new environmental labeling requirements for waste-generating products intended for consumers.

The requirements, Decree 2022-748, concern producers, importers distributors or other marketers of waste-generating products intended for consumers, including those using a website, a platform or any other online distribution channel as part of their commercial activity in France.  

The types of products targeted by the regulation include electrical and electronic equipment, batteries and accumulators, packaging and packaging products, construction products and materials, passenger cars and vans, motor vehicles with 2 or 3 wheels and motor quadricycles, textile products, and other products such as furnishings, toys, sports and leisure items, and DIY and garden items.

Affected companies are required to provide information on the environmental qualities and characteristics of products and packaging. This includes, but is not limited to, information on the products’ reparability, sustainability, recyclability, and the presence of hazardous substances, precious metals, or rare earth metals.

The deadlines for compliance vary based on company revenue and product type, starting on January 1, 2023 for the largest companies, and with all affected companies being required to comply by January 1, 2025.

Affected companies will be required to make the environmental information available by electronic means and/or by display and labeling. While the decree directs varying labeling requirements at different types of products, producers of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) must be prepared to address the following specific labeling/information requirements directed at their products, including:

Electrical and Electronic Products
- Product must display a reparability index rating
- Product must display a sustainability index rating (from Jan 1, 2024)
- Product must display details on presence of precious metals
- Product must display details in the presence of rare earth metals
- Product must display % of recycled materials present
- Product must display a warning if dangerous substances are present
- Product must display details on the presence of EU REACH SVHCs
- Product must display details on recyclability status

Packaging used for the import/sale of Electrical and Electronic Products
- Packaging must display “compostable packaging” if packaging is compostable
- Packaging must display % of recycled materials present
- Packaging must display information if it is “Reusable” or “Refillable”
- Packaging must display a warning if dangerous substances are present
- Packaging must display details on the presence of EU REACH SVHCs
- Packaging must display details on recyclability status

Read the full text of the regulation here.

GreenSoft Technology provides data collection services to help companies with the French environmental labeling regulation

Since the implementation of the new French environmental labeling regulation, GreenSoft Technology has already begun to help some of our affected customers with compliance to the regulation.

As part of our Data Services, we will contact your supply chain on your behalf to collect the information required under the regulation, and we will analyze that data for accuracy and completeness.

Our Data Services enable you to generate the appropriate labeling as required under the regulation, so that you can maintain market access to the French market.  

Contact us to learn more about how GreenSoft Technology can help with the French environmental labeling regulation.