Summary
Details
- France
Applicable AGEC requirements are legally binding where a company, product or activity falls within their scope.
Depending on the sector, obligations may concern:
Packaging.
Producer responsibility.
Environmental labeling.
Reuse.
Unsold goods.
Repairability.
Disposable products.
Waste management.
Consumer information.
Deep dive
- What’s Required
- 1. Phase-out of single-use plastic packaging
- 2. Restrictions on specific disposable plastic products
- 3. Reusable foodservice ware
- 4. Environmental information for consumers
- 5. Extended Producer Responsibility
- 6. Repairability and durability
- 7. Unsold non-food products
- 8. Reuse and bulk sales
- 9. Public procurement
- Important Deadlines
- Current Status
- Penalties for Non-Compliance
- Examples of Known Violations / Failure Modes
- Resources
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What’s Required
AGEC creates numerous obligations that differ depending on the product, company, and sector.
1. Phase-out of single-use plastic packaging
France has established a long-term objective of ending single-use plastic packaging by 2040.
Implementation is divided into five-year periods:
2021 to 2025.
2025 to 2030.
2030 to 2035.
2035 to 2040.
Each period is supported by reduction, reuse, and recycling objectives.
2. Restrictions on specific disposable plastic products
AGEC progressively prohibited several disposable products.
Examples include:
Plastic straws.
Disposable cutlery.
Stir sticks.
Certain expanded-polystyrene food containers.
Plastic confetti.
Oxo-degradable plastic products.
3. Reusable foodservice ware
Since January 1, 2023, restaurants and fast-food businesses serving food for consumption on site must use reusable tableware rather than disposable tableware under applicable conditions.
4. Environmental information for consumers
Producers and importers of relevant products must provide environmental information concerning characteristics such as:
Recycled material content.
Renewable resource use.
Durability.
Compostability.
Repairability.
Reusability.
Recyclability.
Presence of hazardous substances.
Presence of precious metals or rare earths.
Detailed obligations depend on product categories and implementing regulations.
5. Extended Producer Responsibility
AGEC significantly reformed and expanded France’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system.
The law created or expanded producer-responsibility schemes covering additional categories of goods and strengthened obligations concerning:
Waste prevention.
Collection.
Recycling.
Reuse.
Eco-design.
Producer financing.
Consumer information.
6. Repairability and durability
AGEC created the regulatory basis for France’s repairability and later durability information systems.
The framework seeks to help consumers compare products according to their ability to be repaired and remain in use.
7. Unsold non-food products
The law prohibits the destruction of many categories of unsold non-food goods, directing businesses toward reuse, donation or recycling instead.
8. Reuse and bulk sales
The legislation promotes:
Reusable packaging.
Refill.
Bulk sales.
Consumer use of reusable containers.
French law defines bulk sales as sales without packaging where consumers choose the quantity and use reusable or reusable-capable containers.
9. Public procurement
AGEC also requires public authorities to incorporate reuse and recycled-content considerations into procurement.
Since 2021, public bodies must reduce single-use plastics and prioritize reused products or goods incorporating recycled material where possible.
Important Deadlines
February 10, 2020: AGEC Law promulgated.
January 1, 2021: Several disposable plastic products were prohibited, including straws, disposable cutlery, and certain expanded-polystyrene containers.
January 1, 2022: Additional requirements included restrictions affecting plastic packaging around certain fruits and vegetables and further measures supporting reuse and waste reduction.
January 1, 2023: Disposable tableware was prohibited for meals consumed on site in fast-food establishments under applicable rules.
January 1, 2025: The first 3R period targeted a 20% reduction in single-use plastic packaging, with at least half of that reduction expected through reuse, according to government implementation material.
January 1, 2026: France’s government states that restrictions took effect on certain rinse-off cosmetic products containing microplastics, extending the progressive implementation of plastic pollution measures.
2030: France targets a 50% reduction in the number of single-use plastic bottles.
2040: Target date for ending the placing on the market of single-use plastic packaging.
Current Status
Active and progressively implemented.
The AGEC Law remains in force in 2026. The current consolidated text continues to form part of French law, while numerous implementing decrees and provisions have entered into force progressively since 2020.
The French Ministry for Ecological Transition describes AGEC as a central component of national circular economy policy covering consumers, businesses, restaurants, public administrations and the waste sector.
Penalties for Non-Compliance
AGEC amended several parts of the French Environmental Code and Consumer Code, so enforcement differs by obligation.
Possible consequences include:
Administrative fines.
Regulatory orders.
Consumer-law enforcement.
Product restrictions.
EPR enforcement.
Corrective measures.
Criminal sanctions for certain environmental offenses.
The precise penalty depends on the specific AGEC obligation breached rather than one universal AGEC fine.
Examples of Known Violations / Failure Modes
Common compliance risks include:
Placing prohibited single-use plastic products on the French market.
Failing to register under an applicable EPR scheme.
Failing to pay producer responsibility contributions.
Incorrect environmental labeling.
Making unsupported recyclability claims.
Destroying unsold non-food goods where reuse or recycling obligations apply.
Failing to provide required environmental product information.
Using disposable tableware for on-site restaurant consumption where reusable ware is required.
Incorrectly claiming products contain recycled material.
Failing to account for packaging placed on the French market.
Ignoring repairability or durability information requirements.
Treating compliance with EU packaging requirements as automatically sufficient for all French AGEC obligations.
Resources
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