France: eco-organisms, the IDU number, and the Triman logo
France runs packaging responsibility through approved eco-organisms rather than a single public register. For a non-EU seller the practical path is: appoint a French-established representative, join an eco-organism through them, receive your IDU (unique identifier), and keep it on file for marketplaces that ask.
The pieces
- Eco-organism membership. CITEO handles household packaging for most of the market. Fees scale with volume, and the small-seller floor is modest.
- A French-established representative. Non-EU businesses generally cannot hold the obligation directly, so providers bundle representation with the eco-organism paperwork as a yearly service.
- The IDU number. Proof you are in the system. Marketplaces and larger B2B customers ask for it. Keep it with your German LUCID number.
- Triman sorting signage. Consumer packaging needs the Triman logo and sorting instructions in most cases. It is an artwork requirement, so fix it when you next reprint packaging rather than trashing stock, and confirm the current rules for your product class first.
Worth knowing
France's system has more moving parts than Germany's and providers vary more in what they bundle. If France is a small slice of your sales, get the representative plus eco-organism package and stop there. Perfect Triman artwork on existing stock is rarely the first battle worth fighting. This is navigation, not legal advice.