France vs United Kingdom EPR: Rules Compared
Last verified
France and United Kingdom both run packaging EPR and line up on the figures compared. Every figure below links to its primary source. Instica measures, estimates and prepares; the customer signs and submits. Compare thresholds first, then fees and dates.
France and United Kingdom side by side
0 of 9 rows have a verified figure on each side of France and United Kingdom; a cell reads “not yet published” when a side has none, and an exemption row reads “none recorded; see thresholds” when no exemption is on record.
| Measure | France | United Kingdom | Stricter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registration duty | not yet published | Required | Not comparable |
| Producer organisation | not yet published | producer compliance schemes | Not comparable |
| Lowest revenue exemption | none recorded; see thresholds | none recorded; see thresholds | Not comparable |
| Lowest weight exemption | none recorded; see thresholds | none recorded; see thresholds | Not comparable |
| First annual report date | not yet published | April 1 | Not comparable |
| Published penalties | 2 published | not yet published | Not comparable |
| Report file | csv | csv | Not comparable |
| Paper fee, cheapest matched rate | 25.81 cents per kilogram | 196 GBP/tonne | Not comparable |
| Plastic fee, cheapest matched rate | 77.01 cents per kilogram | 423 GBP/tonne | Not comparable |
Who runs the programme in France and United Kingdom
Who collects and who the producer files with, in France and then United Kingdom.
| Aspect | France | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| Regime | not yet published | Extended producer responsibility (EPR) for packaging, under the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations 2024 |
| Regulator | not yet published | Four environmental regulators (Environment Agency, Natural Resources Wales, SEPA, NIEA); PackUK is the scheme administrator that sets fees |
| Producers obligated | Yes | Yes |
| Registration | not yet published | Required, Report packaging data (RPD) service, run by Defra and the regulators |
| Producer organisation | not yet published | producer compliance schemes; membership optional |
| Transfer of responsibility | not yet published | Not allowed |
| Revenue counted as | not yet published | worldwide revenue, GBP, previous accounting year |
| Who counts as the producer | other: manufacturer, importer, first distributor; primary: manufacturer or brand owner, importer, first distributor; secondary: manufacturer or brand owner, importer, first distributor; service: manufacturer, importer, first distributor; tertiary: manufacturer, importer, first distributor | other: manufacturer, importer, online marketplace; primary: brand owner, packer and shipper, importer, online marketplace, seller; secondary: brand owner, packer and shipper, importer, online marketplace, seller; service: brand owner, packer and shipper, manufacturer, importer, seller; shipping: brand owner, packer and shipper, importer, online marketplace, seller; tertiary: brand owner, packer and shipper, importer, online marketplace, seller |
Where one side has not yet published how its producer organisations work, this page says so rather than assuming it matches the other side. A seller in both should check the open item before relying on the comparison.
What France and United Kingdom cover, side by side
Each row below is one published feature of the two programmes; a cell reads “not yet published” when France or United Kingdom has no verified entry for it in the dataset.
| Aspect | France | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| Producer duty: primary packaging | manufacturer_brand_owner; importer; first_distributor | brand_owner; packer_shipper; importer; marketplace; seller |
| Producer duty: secondary packaging | manufacturer_brand_owner; importer; first_distributor | brand_owner; packer_shipper; importer; marketplace; seller |
| Producer duty: tertiary packaging | manufacturer; importer; first_distributor | brand_owner; packer_shipper; importer; marketplace; seller |
| Producer duty: service packaging | manufacturer; importer; first_distributor | brand_owner; packer_shipper; manufacturer; importer; seller |
| Producer duty: other packaging | manufacturer; importer; first_distributor | manufacturer; importer; marketplace |
| Labelling | Required: Triman + Info-tri sorting instructions: Every product under an EPR scheme carries the Triman signage telling consumers it is subject to sorting rules, with sorting information (Info-tri). Household glass beverage packaging is excluded from Triman (L. 541-9-3). | not yet published |
| Published targets | household packaging recycling, steel 80% by 2025 (84% in 2029); household packaging recycling, aluminium 50% by 2025 (58% in 2029); household packaging recycling, paper/carton 75% by 2025 (83% in 2029); household packaging recycling, composite paper/carton 69% by 2025 (76% in 2029); household packaging recycling, plastic 50% by 2025 (54% in 2029); household packaging recycling, glass 80% by 2025 (88% in 2029); separate collection of single-use plastic beverage bottles 77% by 2025 (90% in 2029); reduction of household packaging placed on the market vs 2010 -15% by 2030; reduction of single-use plastic beverage bottle waste vs 2018 -50% by 2030; reduction of single-use plastic household packaging waste vs 2018 -20% by 2025 | plastic_recycling_obligation 57 by 2026-12-31; plastic_recycling_obligation 59 by 2027-12-31; glass_recycling_obligation 76 by 2026-12-31; glass_recycling_obligation 78 by 2027-12-31; aluminium_recycling_obligation 62 by 2026-12-31; aluminium_recycling_obligation 63 by 2027-12-31; steel_recycling_obligation 81 by 2026-12-31; steel_recycling_obligation 82 by 2027-12-31; wood_recycling_obligation 46 by 2026-12-31; wood_recycling_obligation 47 by 2027-12-31; paper_board_fibre_composite_recycling_obligation 77 by 2026-12-31; paper_board_fibre_composite_recycling_obligation 79 by 2027-12-31 |
| Materials covered | not yet published | aluminium, fibre based composite, glass, paper and card, plastic, steel, wood, other |
| Product classes covered | not yet published | primary packaging, secondary packaging, shipment packaging, tertiary packaging, reusable packaging |
| Excluded from scope | not yet published | charities supplying or importing packaging |
| Sales channels addressed | not yet published | retail, wholesale, online, online marketplace |
| Producer duty: shipping packaging | not yet published | brand_owner; packer_shipper; importer; marketplace; seller |
| Reporting categories | not yet published | 8, material and packaging class |
| Exemption 1 | not yet published | Charities that supply or import filled or unfilled packaging in the UK, excluding subsidiaries that trade for profit. |
Thresholds and exemptions in France and United Kingdom
Every verified threshold France and United Kingdom publish, as each states it.
| Place | Measure | Amount | Effect | Basis as published |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | packaging tonnage | 25 tonnes | registration trigger | packaging supplied or imported in the UK in the previous calendar year |
| United Kingdom | revenue | £1,000,000 | registration trigger | worldwide annual turnover |
| United Kingdom | packaging tonnage | 50 tonnes | reduced duty | with turnover above 1 million and up to 2 million pounds, an obligated producer is small; above 50 tonnes with turnover over 2 million pounds is large |
France has no verified threshold in the dataset yet, so this page cannot place a seller above or below a line there.
United Kingdom exemption: Charities that supply or import filled or unfilled packaging in the UK, excluding subsidiaries that trade for profit. It does not have to be applied for.
Read the basis column first: the same amount can exempt a producer in one programme and only simplify its report in another.
Fees per kilogram for shared materials
5 material classes have a published rate on both sides; each row shows the cheapest rate that fits the class.
| Material class | France (EUR per kg) | United Kingdom (GBP per kg) | United Kingdom in EUR, approx. | Higher fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| paper and board | 25.81 cents per kilogram | 196 GBP/tonne | not yet published | Not comparable |
| plastic | 77.01 cents per kilogram | 423 GBP/tonne | not yet published | Not comparable |
| glass | 2.01 cents per kilogram | 192 GBP/tonne | not yet published | Not comparable |
| aluminium | 24.34 cents per kilogram | 266 GBP/tonne | not yet published | Not comparable |
| steel | 6.49 cents per kilogram | 259 GBP/tonne | not yet published | Not comparable |
Scaling the cheapest published rate by weight shows what the gap between France and United Kingdom amounts to for a given tonnage of one material. The amounts are the rate times the weight, nothing added.
| Material class | Kilograms | France fee (EUR) | United Kingdom fee (GBP) | United Kingdom in EUR, approx. | United Kingdom minus France (EUR) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| paper and board | 1 | €0.26 | £0.20 | not yet published | not yet published |
| paper and board | 10 | €2.58 | £1.96 | not yet published | not yet published |
| paper and board | 100 | €25.81 | £19.60 | not yet published | not yet published |
| paper and board | 1,000 | €258.10 | £196.00 | not yet published | not yet published |
| paper and board | 10,000 | €2,581.00 | £1,960.00 | not yet published | not yet published |
| paper and board | 100,000 | €25,810.00 | £19,600.00 | not yet published | not yet published |
| plastic | 1 | €0.77 | £0.42 | not yet published | not yet published |
| plastic | 10 | €7.70 | £4.23 | not yet published | not yet published |
| plastic | 100 | €77.01 | £42.30 | not yet published | not yet published |
| plastic | 1,000 | €770.10 | £423.00 | not yet published | not yet published |
| plastic | 10,000 | €7,701.00 | £4,230.00 | not yet published | not yet published |
| plastic | 100,000 | €77,010.00 | £42,300.00 | not yet published | not yet published |
| glass | 1 | €0.02 | £0.19 | not yet published | not yet published |
| glass | 10 | €0.20 | £1.92 | not yet published | not yet published |
| glass | 100 | €2.01 | £19.20 | not yet published | not yet published |
| glass | 1,000 | €20.10 | £192.00 | not yet published | not yet published |
| glass | 10,000 | €201.00 | £1,920.00 | not yet published | not yet published |
| glass | 100,000 | €2,010.00 | £19,200.00 | not yet published | not yet published |
| aluminium | 1 | €0.24 | £0.27 | not yet published | not yet published |
| aluminium | 10 | €2.43 | £2.66 | not yet published | not yet published |
| aluminium | 100 | €24.34 | £26.60 | not yet published | not yet published |
| aluminium | 1,000 | €243.40 | £266.00 | not yet published | not yet published |
| aluminium | 10,000 | €2,434.00 | £2,660.00 | not yet published | not yet published |
| aluminium | 100,000 | €24,340.00 | £26,600.00 | not yet published | not yet published |
| steel | 1 | €0.06 | £0.26 | not yet published | not yet published |
| steel | 10 | €0.65 | £2.59 | not yet published | not yet published |
| steel | 100 | €6.49 | £25.90 | not yet published | not yet published |
| steel | 1,000 | €64.90 | £259.00 | not yet published | not yet published |
| steel | 10,000 | €649.00 | £2,590.00 | not yet published | not yet published |
| steel | 100,000 | €6,490.00 | £25,900.00 | not yet published | not yet published |
The two schedules are in different currencies (EUR and GBP) and the dataset holds no published exchange rate between them, so this page does not rank the fees. Compare them in your own currency before you decide.
United Kingdom: the 2025-26 fee schedule of PackUK extended producer responsibility for packaging (base fees), effective June 27, 2025, is the source of the per-kilogram rates used on this page.
France: the 2026 fee schedule of Citeo household packaging contribution (emballages ménagers), effective January 1, 2026, is the source of the per-kilogram rates used on this page.
France 2026: the category “Paper and cardboard” is published at 25.81 cents per kilogram.
France 2026: the category “Flexible PE packaging” is published at 77.01 cents per kilogram.
France 2026: the category “Glass” is published at 2.01 cents per kilogram.
France 2026: the category “Aluminium” is published at 24.34 cents per kilogram.
France 2026: the category “Steel” is published at 6.49 cents per kilogram.
United Kingdom 2025-26: the category “Paper and card” is published at 196 GBP/tonne.
United Kingdom 2025-26: the category “Plastic” is published at 423 GBP/tonne.
United Kingdom 2025-26: the category “Glass” is published at 192 GBP/tonne.
United Kingdom 2025-26: the category “Aluminium” is published at 266 GBP/tonne.
United Kingdom 2025-26: the category “Steel” is published at 259 GBP/tonne.
Real packs usually land in a dearer category, so use the calculator for France and United Kingdom.
Deadlines in France and United Kingdom
Each verified date, with the period it covers when one is given.
| Place | Kind | Date | Covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| France | other | August 12, 2026 | not yet published |
| France | registration | August 12, 2026 | not yet published |
| France | report | 1 June each year, for the preceding full calendar year | not yet published |
| United Kingdom | report | October 1, 2026 | the first half of 2026 |
| United Kingdom | report | April 1, 2027 | the second half of 2026 |
| United Kingdom | report | April 1, 2027 | 2026-P0 |
| United Kingdom | registration | October 1, 2026 | not yet published |
| United Kingdom | registration | April 1, 2027 | not yet published |
| United Kingdom | other | January 31, 2027 | calendar year 2026 |
Penalties in France and United Kingdom
What each side has published; a side without an amount says so.
France penalty for Producer not meeting its extended producer responsibility obligations: up to €7,500 per unit or tonne of product placed on the market.
France penalty for Not registered on the SYDEREP register kept by ADEME, incorrect register information, or missing unique identifier: up to €30,000 per case.
Report formats in France and United Kingdom
How the report file for France compares with the one for United Kingdom.
| Aspect | France | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| Layout | France packaging declaration (working layout) Working layout, sources reviewed 2026-09-30 | UK EPR packaging data file (large and small producer) 2026 specification, GOV.UK page last updated 19 August 2026 |
| Recipient | Citeo and other approved packaging eco-organisations | The four UK environmental regulators through the Report packaging data (RPD) service |
| How it is submitted | Not identified; the customer signs in to the recipient's service and submits | Report packaging data service on GOV.UK. The customer, as an approved person, uploads the CSV. A compliance scheme can do this on the producer's behalf. |
| File type | csv | csv |
| Encoding | utf-8 | utf-8 |
| Delimiter | , | , |
| Decimal separator | . | |
| Columns | 4 | 15 |
| Required columns | 4 of 4 | 6 of 15 |
| Weight unit | kg | kg |
| Period basis | calendar year | half year |
United Kingdom report specification: GOV.UK Report packaging data: create your reporting file, Table 1a (large producers) and Table 1b (small producers), with code tables 2 to 7
The two layouts share a file type and a delimiter, but each programme names its own columns and categories, so one file cannot be sent to both programmes. Each report is built from the same underlying measurements and exported separately.
Questions about comparing these two programmes
Is France or United Kingdom stricter on packaging EPR?
The dataset does not yet hold a figure on both sides that can be compared directly, so this page does not name a stricter programme.
Do I register in both France and United Kingdom?
France has not yet published its registration duty. United Kingdom requires producers to register.
How do the fees per kilogram compare in France and United Kingdom?
The two schedules share material classes but the dataset holds no published exchange rate between EUR and GBP, so the fees are shown in each currency without a ranking.
Which deadline comes first, France or United Kingdom?
The dataset does not hold a verified annual report date on both sides, so this page does not say which comes first.
Which country is more powerful, the UK or France?
France: at the primary packaging level the producer hierarchy names the manufacturer or brand owner, importer and first distributor (2026). United Kingdom: at the primary packaging level the producer hierarchy names the brand owner, packer and shipper, importer, online marketplace and seller (2025).
What is EPR in the EU?
United Kingdom: the packaging rules sit in Extended producer responsibility (EPR) for packaging, under the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations 2024. United Kingdom: the regulator is Four environmental regulators (Environment Agency, Natural Resources Wales, SEPA, NIEA); PackUK is the scheme administrator that sets fees.
Is it cheaper to live in France or the UK?
United Kingdom: the regulator is Four environmental regulators (Environment Agency, Natural Resources Wales, SEPA, NIEA); PackUK is the scheme administrator that sets fees. France places an obligation on packaging producers. United Kingdom places an obligation on packaging producers. United Kingdom threshold on tonnage: 25 tonnes; effect: triggers registration.
Does the UK have EPR?
France places an obligation on packaging producers. United Kingdom places an obligation on packaging producers. United Kingdom threshold on tonnage: 25 tonnes; effect: triggers registration. United Kingdom threshold on revenue: £1,000,000; effect: triggers registration.
How these figures are made
Sources
- citeo.com: citeo rates for household packaging and paper retrieved
Original wording: A company which puts packaging and/or graphic papers on the market
- ecologie.gouv.fr: emballages professionnels retrieved
Original wording: Pour les emballages de vente et groupé, le fabricant, l’importateur ou le distributeur du produit emballé ;
- eur-lex.europa.eu: eng retrieved
Original wording: It shall apply from 12 August 2026.
Original wording: shall appoint, by written mandate, an authorised representative for the extended producer responsibility in each Member State where
Original wording: by 1 June for each full preceding calendar year
- ecologie.gouv.fr: cadre general filieres responsabilite elargie producteurs retrieved
Original wording: une amende qui peut atteindre jusqu'à 7 500 € par unité ou tonne de produit mis sur le marché
Original wording: tout produit relevant du principe de responsabilité élargie des producteurs (REP), à l'exclusion des emballages ménagers de boissons en verre, fait l'objet d'une signalétique Triman
- filieres-rep.ademe.fr: filiere EMPAP retrieved
Original wording: Objectifs de recyclage Matériaux 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 Acier 78 % 80 % 81 % 82 % 83 % 84 %
- gov.uk (how to comply with packaging recycling obligations as a large producer) retrieved
Original wording: go to schedule 5 of the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations 2024 (as amended)
Original wording: A compliance scheme cannot pay your waste disposal fees for you.
Original wording: you must meet your recycling obligations, including submitting your certificate or statement of compliance, by 31 January 2027
Original wording: Packaging recycling targets 2025 to 2027
- gov.uk: epr for packaging what you must do as a small producer retrieved
Original wording: Each of the 4 nations of the United Kingdom has its own regulator. You’ll be reporting to and monitored by the regulator for your nation.
Original wording: the fee is: £1,303 if you register directly with your environmental regulator £696 if you register through a compliance scheme
Original wording: Compliance schemes are third parties that help organisations meet the EPR for packaging requirements.
Original wording: annual turnover of more than £1 million and supplies more than 25 tonnes and no more than 50 tonnes of packaging
- gov.uk: check if you must comply with epr for packaging 2 retrieved
Original wording: you supplied or imported more than 25 tonnes of packaging in the UK in the previous year
Original wording: you must get your annual turnover from the last accounts that were available before 7 April 2026.
Original wording: your annual turnover worldwide was £1 million or more
Original wording: Charities that supply or import filled or unfilled packaging in the UK are exempt from EPR for packaging requirements.
- legislation.gov.uk: 1 retrieved
Original wording: a brand owner; (ii) a packer/filler; (iii) an importer or first UK owner; (iv) a distributor; (v) an online marketplace operator;
- gov.uk (packaging data check reporting periods and submission deadlines) retrieved
Original wording: 1 January to 30 June 2026 1 October 2026
Original wording: 1 July to 31 December 2026 1 April 2027
Original wording: 1 January to 31 December 2026 1 April 2027
Original wording: you must register for EPR for packaging each year, and pay the applicable fees by 1 October.
Original wording: you must register for EPR for packaging each year, and pay a registration fee by 1 April.
- gov.uk: report packaging data create your reporting file retrieved
Original wording: Report the weight of the individual materials used in the packaging you have supplied. You must report each material type separately.
Original wording: Add a new row of data for each packaging activity and each type of packaging you need to report.
- ecd-bo.citeo.com: guide du tarif des emballages menagers 2026 retrieved
Original wording: GUIDE DU TARIF EMBALLAGES MÉNAGERS mis en marché en 2026
Original wording: PAPIER-CARTON TARIF 3. Papier-carton 25,81 ct €/kg
Original wording: TARIF 6.4 Emballage souple PE 77,01 ct €/kg
Original wording: VERRE TARIF 5. Verre 2,01 ct €/kg
Original wording: Aluminium 24,34 ct €/kg
Original wording: ACIER TARIF 1. Acier 6,49 ct €/kg
- gov.uk (2025) retrieved
Original wording: This document provides base fees for year 1 (2025 to 2026) of the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for packaging scheme.
Original wording: Paper and card 196
Original wording: Plastic 423
Original wording: Glass 192
Original wording: Aluminium 266
Original wording: Steel 259
The free plan is enough to start. We estimate and prepare; you sign and submit.