How can I ensure compliance of packaging with French and European sustainability requirements?

12 October 2023

What obligations apply to my packaging?

Packaging management takes an important place in the concerns of marketers. And for good reason, increasingly stringent sustainability requirements are added to the fundamental role of packaging protection.

At the French level, the Law No. 2020-105 of February 10, 2020 relating to the fight against waste and the circular economy, known as the AGEC law, brought reduction requirements and objectives such as:

• Strive towards 100% reduction in “useless” single-use plastic packaging by the end of 2025
• A target of 20% reduction in single-use plastic packaging by the end of 2025, with at least half obtained through reuse; 100% by 2040.
• Strive towards 100% recycling of single-use plastic packaging by January 1, 202

At the European level, a regulatory proposal which should come into force in 2024 which also gives reduction requirements and objectives:

• Reduce packaging waste by 15% by 2040 per Member State
• Make all packaging, placed on the market in the EU, recyclable in an economically viable way by 2030
• 40 plastic bags used per person per year maximum by December 31, 2025

In addition to these national and European objectives, there are requirements on:

o Recyclability
o The incorporation of recycled materials
o Minimization of packaging
o Reuse of packaging

For these new requirements, proof of conformity will be made available to the authorities concerned.

How can I meet the requirements that apply to my packaging?

TÜV SÜD's packaging material testing services can help you reduce your costs.

We offer a full range of services for packaging testing that replicates the mechanical and climatic conditions that products may encounter during transportation and storage.

As part of our testing programs, we can determine a product's susceptibility to damage in order to use an appropriate level of packaging protection. As well as reducing the risk of product damage in transit, we can provide advice on possible savings through the removal of excessive or unnecessary packaging.

For more information, you can consult our service “product packaging testing”.

AGEC Law Service

TÜV SÜD also supports you in your compliance with the AGEC law. Services are offered to directly meet the requirements of the regulations and in particular those of article 13 as well as to provide methods of proof of the information to be collected and communicated.

For more information, you can consult our AGEC Law service.

About the author
Anne-Sophie Quinquis
Chemical and environmental engineer
TÜV SÜD France