Plastic Action Plan: France activates 12 levers to accelerate the reduction, reuse and recycling of plastic packaging

France wants to accelerate the transformation of its plastics sector. With recycling performance still below European targets, the French Government launched a “Plastic Action Plan” in May 2026, structured around three priorities: reducing plastic consumption, developing reuse, and improving the collection and recycling of plastic packaging.

A national consultation was launched involving local authorities, manufacturers, producers placing products on the market, retailers, associations, parliamentarians and experts. A first stage took place on June 16, 2026, focusing on 12 action levers mainly concerning household packaging.

Since then, discussions have evolved. In September 2026, the Government notably proposed a voluntary and locally implemented deposit-return scheme for recycling, rather than a mandatory scheme applied uniformly across the country.

Why does France want to accelerate?

France is still lagging behind several European targets concerning plastic packaging.

According to data used by the French Government, 26% of plastic packaging is recycled in France, compared with a European target of 50% in 2025 and 55% in 2030. These targets concern the recycling, by weight, of plastics contained in packaging waste.

This situation also has budgetary consequences. Since 2021, the European Union has had an own resource calculated according to the quantity of non-recycled plastic packaging waste in each Member State. The reference rate is set at €0.80 per kilogram of non-recycled plastic.

For France, European data used to calculate this contribution indicate approximately 1.88 million tonnes of non-recycled plastic packaging waste, corresponding to a gross contribution of around €1.5 billion in the data concerned. It is therefore more accurate to refer to France's contribution to the European Union budget linked to non-recycled plastics, rather than an “fine” imposed on France for poor recycling performance.

The issue is therefore environmental, industrial and economic at the same time: increasing recycling helps reduce waste, limit the use of virgin materials and further develop the use of secondary raw materials.

Plastic bottles: a particularly significant shortfall

Plastic beverage bottles are a specific case.

The European Union requires a 77% separate collection rate for plastic beverage bottles in 2025, rising to 90% in 2029. These figures concern separate collection for recycling and therefore do not directly correspond to an actual recycling rate.

In France, ADEME estimates the collection rate for recycling of plastic beverage bottles at 58.2% in 2024. The Ministry subsequently communicated a figure of 58.3%. France therefore remains well below the 77% target set for 2025.

There are also significant differences between regions. The Ministry indicates that in 2024, some intermunicipal authorities had very low collection rates, with nearly 45 intermunicipalities representing more than 14 million inhabitants recording a rate below 35%.

This situation explains why the issue of a deposit-return scheme for recycling plays such an important role in the discussions.

A plan organized around three priorities

The Plastic Action Plan is based on three complementary pillars.

1. Reduce and improve packaging design

The first objective is to reduce the amount of plastic used when it is unnecessary and to improve packaging design.

This includes:

• eliminating unnecessary packaging;
• reducing the amount of material used;
• eco-design;
• limiting packaging that is difficult or impossible to recycle;
• developing alternatives where relevant;
• reducing certain single-use plastic packaging.

This direction is also reinforced by the new European regulation on packaging and packaging waste, the PPWR (Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation).

The PPWR entered into application on August 12, 2026. It includes requirements aimed at reducing the amount of packaging, limiting certain single-use formats, promoting reuse and improving packaging recyclability.

From 2030 onwards, minimum recycled-content requirements will also apply to different categories of plastic packaging.

2. Develop reuse

The second pillar is to develop reuse where it is environmentally and economically relevant.

The Government notably aims to structure a French industrial reuse sector based on:

• common standards;
• suitable infrastructure;
• collection and washing systems;
• sustainable business models;
• the development of bulk retail;
• reusable packaging;
• deposit-return systems for reuse.

The PPWR also reinforces this approach through new reuse and refill targets that will gradually apply to different sectors and packaging categories.

Reuse and recycling are not, however, competing solutions: their relevance depends in particular on the type of packaging, logistics distances, available infrastructure and the number of possible reuse cycles.

3. Improve collection, sorting and recycling

The third pillar aims to recover more packaging waste and improve its quality in order to increase the quantities actually recycled.

This means taking action across the entire chain:

collection → sorting → material preparation → recycling → incorporation into new products.

Simply increasing recycling capacity is therefore not enough if waste is not properly collected and sorted upstream.

Conversely, collecting more waste is only useful if the recovered materials can then actually be prepared and recycled under technically and economically satisfactory conditions.

The 12 levers identified by the Government

During the plenary meeting held on June 16, 2026, the Government presented 12 initial levers concerning household packaging.

1. Strengthen eco-design

The objective is to reduce non-recyclable plastic packaging, limit single-use packaging and promote designs that enable better end-of-life management.

2. Develop reuse, bulk retail and alternative solutions

The Government wants to accelerate the development of reusable packaging, bulk retail, alternatives to plastic and deposit-return schemes for reuse.

3. Expand sorting instructions

Simplifying sorting instructions should enable households to place more packaging into separate collection systems.

4. Increase the number of collection points

The number of collection points should be increased in certain areas to make local collection more convenient.

5. Improve door-to-door collection

The Government also wants to improve the performance of collection carried out directly from households.

6. Develop multi-material door-to-door collection

Collection systems allowing several materials to be recovered through a single system are another identified lever.

7. Develop separate collection in institutions and offices

Public facilities and office buildings are also concerned by the development of separate collection points for packaging waste.

8. Develop waste sorting in public spaces

Collection and sorting systems should be strengthened in public spaces in order to recover more packaging consumed outside the home.

9. Develop pay-as-you-throw schemes

Pay-as-you-throw systems should use economic incentives to encourage waste reduction and improve sorting.

10. Improve the performance of sorting facilities

The objective is to increase the quantity and, above all, the quality of plastic materials actually directed towards recycling streams.

11. Support the incorporation of recycled resin

Collection and recycling are only part of the loop. Demand for recycled materials must also be created.

The Government therefore plans to support the incorporation of recycled resins into the manufacture of new products. This lever is already being implemented, notably through support mechanisms and contribution modulation linked to the use of recycled materials.

12. Introduce a deposit-return scheme for recycling

The deposit-return scheme for recycling is the twelfth lever.

It primarily targets plastic beverage bottles and aims to increase their collection rate by creating a system in which consumers return the packaging in order to receive a refund corresponding to the deposit.

However, the Government's position evolved during the summer of 2026.

Towards a deposit-return scheme targeted at certain areas?

In September 2026, the Government proposed an approach different from a uniform nationwide deposit-return scheme.

It is now proposing a voluntary and locally implemented deposit-return scheme, which could be introduced in participating local authorities, particularly those with the lowest collection rates. The Government indicates that, at this stage, it does not plan to introduce a mandatory deposit-return system uniformly across the country.

This proposal represents a significant change from the initial discussions surrounding the Plastic Action Plan.

It aims in particular to take into account the major differences in performance between regions: some local authorities already achieve high collection levels, while others remain far from the European targets.

The deposit-return scheme therefore remains a major issue in the implementation of the Plastic Action Plan.

The PPWR is also changing the landscape

France's Plastic Action Plan should not be considered independently from the new European framework.

Regulation (EU) 2025/40 on packaging and packaging waste, known as the PPWR, has applied since August 12, 2026. Unlike a directive, a European regulation is directly applicable in Member States, with provisions entering into force progressively depending on the subject.

The regulation pursues several objectives:

• reducing the generation of packaging waste;
• limiting certain single-use packaging;
• promoting reuse and refill;
• improving packaging recyclability;
• increasing the use of recycled plastic;
• harmonizing European rules;
• improving the collection of certain types of packaging;
• strengthening material circularity.

The regulation notably sets a plastic recycling target of 50% in 2025 and 55% in 2030 for plastics contained in packaging.

It also introduces recycled-content requirements for plastic packaging from 2030 onwards, with rates varying according to the categories of packaging concerned.

What about professional packaging?

The Plastic Action Plan presented in June mainly concerns household packaging, but another regulatory development directly affects businesses.

In 2025, France created a new Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme dedicated to packaging used or consumed by professionals. Its regulatory framework is notably based on Decree No. 2025-1081 of November 17, 2025.

This EPR scheme covers, in particular, professional packaging that was previously outside the scope of the household packaging EPR scheme.

Three producer responsibility organizations have been approved for this scheme:

• Citeo Pro;
• Léko Pro;
• Twiice.

Individual compliance schemes have also been approved.

The system was initially scheduled to become operational on July 1, 2026. However, in July 2026, the Government announced that its implementation would be postponed to January 1, 2027, notably due to ongoing uncertainties regarding the identification of the economic operators concerned and the practical arrangements for implementation.

This development is particularly important for manufacturers, distributors and professional users of packaging, who will need to determine their status under this new EPR scheme.

A national strategy expected in 2027

The twelve levers presented in June do not, on their own, constitute the entirety of France's packaging policy.

The Government plans to complete this work with a new national strategy dedicated to the reduction, reuse and recycling of packaging, announced for early 2027.

The National Circular Economy Council is also expected to continue its work on the development of reuse.

Key takeaways

The Plastic Action Plan above all reflects a desire to address the issue across the entire value chain.

The focus is no longer solely on increasing recycling capacity. The strategy combines:

packaging reduction → eco-design → reuse → collection → sorting → recycling → incorporation of recycled materials.

The 12 levers identified in June therefore cover consumer behavior, the organization of local authorities, sorting infrastructure, demand for recycled materials and deposit-return systems.

At the same time, the European PPWR is now applicable, with new obligations that will progressively change the rules governing packaging design, placing packaging on the market, reuse and recyclability.

For businesses, the issue therefore goes far beyond waste management alone: packaging design, material choices, recycled content, reuse, traceability, Extended Producer Responsibility and outlets for recycled materials will progressively become fully-fledged industrial and economic challenges.