EPR System in France
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In practice, this means that compliance is no longer just a burden for manufacturers or recycling companies. Whether you sell electronics, batteries, or beauty products shipped in branded boxes, you’re part of a circular system designed to make the life cycle of materials more visible. These reporting obligations are not simply red tape — they’re the infrastructure behind a cleaner, more accountable future.
Waste Traceability in France – The Essentials
For brands looking to expand into France, one question naturally arises: is there an equivalent system to those found elsewhere in Europe for tracking waste and ensuring compliance with environmental regulations?
The answer is yes, and understanding how it works is essential before entering the French market. France has built a robust digital framework to monitor waste, centered around two interconnected platforms. The first is RNDTS, the Registre National des Déchets, Terres Excavées et Sédiments, introduced in 2022 to ensure complete digital traceability of waste streams, excavated soil, and sediments. The second is Trackdéchets, a national system focused specifically on hazardous waste, designed to make every stage of transport, treatment, and disposal fully transparent.
Together, these two systems form a unified ecosystem that allows French authorities — and by extension, compliant companies — to trace waste from the moment it is generated to its final recycling or disposal.
What This Means for Businesses
For companies operating in or entering the French market, participation in these systems is more than a formality. It is a signal of credibility, reliability, and alignment with Europe’s growing emphasis on sustainable commerce. Businesses are expected to register within the appropriate system, maintain transparent digital records of their waste management processes, and show a proactive commitment to responsible operations.
While these regulations may appear administrative at first glance, they also represent an opportunity. Transparency builds trust. Companies that embrace these obligations demonstrate that they care about where their materials end up and how they impact the environment. In a marketplace where sustainability increasingly defines brand value, such responsibility can become a competitive advantage rather than a compliance chore.
In Short
France’s RNDTS and Trackdéchets systems illustrate a clear vision: a modern economy where every stage of material use and waste is visible, traceable, and accountable. For businesses with European ambitions, understanding these systems isn’t just about meeting regulations — it’s about embodying the principles of sustainable growth that define the future of commerce across the continent.
RNDTS: France’s National Registry for Waste, Excavated Soil and Sediments
Origins of the System
France’s RNDTS (Registre National des Déchets, Terres Excavées et Sédiments) was established under the Anti-Waste for a Circular Economy Law (AGEC), passed on 10 February 2020. This landmark legislation marked a decisive step in France’s transition toward a circular economy and a direct response to the growing urgency of reducing resource waste.
Fully operational since 1 January 2022, RNDTS covers all categories of waste — both hazardous and non-hazardous — as well as excavated soil and sediments. Its creation brought together data that had previously been fragmented across multiple institutions and systems. By digitalising and centralising waste reporting, France has created a unified, transparent infrastructure that strengthens both oversight and sustainability planning.
Purpose and Key Functions
At its core, RNDTS serves two strategic functions: data consolidation and transparency.
The system centralises all information about the flow of waste throughout the country, replacing the previously scattered documentation landscape with a single, consistent source of truth. This integration gives the authorities — and the businesses involved — a clear, national-level view of waste management activities and material flows.
Equally important is its role in ensuring traceability. Every movement of waste — from generation to transport, treatment, and recovery — must be digitally recorded and validated within the system. This closed digital loop makes illegal or non-compliant practices, such as the dumping of waste, far more difficult to conceal. In turn, it allows French regulators to act quickly and precisely whenever irregularities are detected.
But RNDTS is more than a compliance tool. It’s a data engine for France’s circular economy strategy. By collecting detailed information about material resources, the system enables better policy planning and encourages reuse, recycling, and recovery. In that sense, RNDTS is both a watchdog and a catalyst — a platform that not only monitors environmental performance but also empowers smarter, more sustainable decision-making.
Who Is Required to Use RNDTS
RNDTS applies to all entities involved in waste management — from producers and holders to transporters and treatment facilities. In practice, this includes both large industrial operators and smaller businesses that generate waste requiring documentation.
Each company subject to these rules must keep a registre chronologique, or chronological register, documenting all waste-related activities. The data from this record is then submitted to RNDTS, ensuring that the authorities have access to a complete, real-time overview of waste generation and movement across the country.
Entries in this register include the date of waste creation, type (as classified in the official waste catalogue), quantity, details of the entities transferring and receiving it, and the final method of treatment — whether recycling, recovery, or disposal. This process creates full end-to-end traceability, holding each participant accountable for their role in the waste lifecycle.
A Cornerstone of the Circular Economy
RNDTS embodies France’s broader environmental vision: a modern, transparent, and data-driven waste management framework that supports circularity at scale. By requiring every business — regardless of size — to contribute to a national data ecosystem, the system doesn’t just enforce compliance; it nurtures a culture of responsibility and innovation.
For companies operating in France, understanding RNDTS isn’t just about meeting legal requirements. It’s about aligning with a European movement that’s redefining what it means to do business sustainably — where digital transparency and environmental integrity go hand in hand.
Trackdéchets: Managing Hazardous Waste in the Digital Era
Scope and Purpose
The second pillar of France’s waste management framework is Trackdéchets, a nationwide digital platform dedicated to the traceability of hazardous waste. This system was developed for materials that, due to their chemical, biological, or toxic properties, require close monitoring and strict documentation throughout their entire lifecycle.
Trackdéchets was introduced under the Anti-Waste for a Circular Economy Law (AGEC) and its related implementing decrees. It covers a wide range of hazardous waste streams, including those containing persistent organic pollutants (POP), asbestos (amiante), medical and infectious materials, and end-of-life vehicles (Véhicules Hors d’Usage, VHU). The platform also includes other waste categories listed in the official French catalogue of hazardous substances.
In practical terms, any business that generates, transports, collects, receives, or processes hazardous waste in France must use Trackdéchets. Its goal is simple yet ambitious: to ensure complete digital transparency for all hazardous waste movements across the country.
How the Platform Works
At the heart of Trackdéchets lies a complete digitalization of waste documentation. The system replaces traditional paper-based processes with an electronic form known as the BSD (Bordereau de Suivi des Déchets) — a digital tracking sheet that accompanies every batch of hazardous waste from transfer to treatment or disposal.
Each stage of the waste’s journey must be validated electronically by all participants — the producer, transporter, and receiver. This real-time confirmation ensures that every movement is traceable, every document authentic, and every record instantly accessible to both companies and regulators. The result is a system that virtually eliminates the risk of lost or falsified documentation while dramatically improving efficiency and oversight.
Beyond traceability, Trackdéchets also serves a reporting function. Businesses can generate automated summaries, such as annual waste reports, detailing the volumes and types of hazardous materials managed. These reports are made directly available to supervisory authorities, reducing the administrative burden on companies and simplifying compliance.
Simplified Administration Through Digital Integration
Using Trackdéchets comes with a notable benefit for businesses: those who report hazardous waste through the platform are exempt from maintaining a separate chronological register (registre chronologique) for that category of waste.
This means that electronic entries and confirmations within Trackdéchets carry full legal weight, entirely replacing traditional paper documentation. The system provides a streamlined, unified digital record that can be verified at any time by regulatory bodies.
For companies, this shift represents more than administrative relief — it’s a move toward a more modern, transparent, and accountable way of managing environmental obligations. By reducing paperwork and enabling real-time data access, Trackdéchets helps businesses focus less on compliance logistics and more on what truly matters: running operations that are efficient, responsible, and aligned with Europe’s sustainability goals.
A Smarter Way to Handle Responsibility
Trackdéchets is not just a platform; it’s a symbol of France’s commitment to combining environmental responsibility with digital innovation. By integrating technology into one of the most complex areas of waste management, France has made traceability not only achievable but intuitive.
For forward-thinking companies, embracing systems like Trackdéchets is more than regulatory compliance — it’s a step toward building a transparent, trustworthy, and future-ready brand.
The Chronological Register: A Cornerstone of Environmental Compliance
Legal Framework and Purpose
One of the key obligations for companies operating within France’s waste management framework is maintaining a registre chronologique, or chronological register. This requirement is set out in the French Environmental Code (Code de l’Environnement), specifically Articles R.541-43 and the provisions that follow.
The obligation applies to all entities involved in handling waste — from producers and holders to collectors, transporters, intermediaries, and facilities responsible for storage, recovery, or treatment. Each party is required to document the full lifecycle of the waste that passes through their operations.
The primary purpose of this register is to guarantee full traceability. It allows both regulators and businesses to follow the complete journey of waste — from its generation and transfer to its final recycling, recovery, or disposal. In essence, it forms the backbone of France’s waste accountability system, ensuring that every kilogram or litre of waste can be traced, verified, and reported.
Format and Retention Period
The register can be maintained either in paper or digital form, although most companies now opt for electronic management, given its compatibility with France’s national waste registry, RNDTS.
For hazardous waste, the obligation to keep a separate chronological register can be replaced by digital reporting within Trackdéchets — a simplification that reduces administrative workload while maintaining full legal compliance.
Businesses must retain their waste documentation for a minimum of three years, and for certain categories of hazardous waste, up to five years. During that period, companies must be prepared for possible audits or inspections, as authorities may request to verify the data at any time.
What Information Must Be Recorded
A properly maintained register must be detailed enough to reconstruct the complete life cycle of each waste stream. According to the Environmental Code, every entry should include the date and time when the waste was generated, transferred, or received; the waste code and description in line with the European Waste Catalogue; and the quantity, expressed in tonnes, kilograms, or cubic metres.
It must also identify all relevant parties — the producer, receiver, and transporter — along with their official business names, addresses, and identification numbers. For transported waste, the register must specify the carrier’s details and vehicle registration number. Finally, the document must indicate the intended method of treatment — whether the waste will be recycled, recovered for energy, landfilled, or disposed of through another approved process.
Why It Matters
The chronological register is far more than a bureaucratic formality. It serves as a company’s proof of compliance, demonstrating that waste has been managed responsibly and delivered to authorized operators.
Maintaining this documentation accurately and consistently not only protects businesses from regulatory penalties but also builds credibility with partners and customers. In France, failure to keep a register, providing incomplete or incorrect data, or maintaining it improperly can lead to serious administrative and financial consequences.
For companies operating in or expanding into the French market, the registre chronologique is therefore much more than a compliance box to tick. It is a foundation of environmental integrity — a record that shows your company acts transparently, responsibly, and in alignment with Europe’s vision for a cleaner, circular future.
Registration and Reporting: How to Comply with France’s Waste Management Systems
Registering with RNDTS
To operate in compliance with France’s national waste management framework, every business involved in the handling of waste must obtain access to RNDTS, the country’s official digital registry. Registration takes place entirely online through a secure government platform managed by the Ministry for Ecological Transition in cooperation with ADEME (Agence de la Transition Écologique).
The registration application requires basic company details, including the business name and legal form, registered address, SIRET or SIREN number, and a description of activities related to waste generation, transport, or treatment. Once the submission has been verified, the company receives authorization to access the system.
Employees responsible for using the platform log in via FranceConnect, France’s national digital identification service. This authentication system ensures that all data entered into RNDTS is accurate, secure, and legally traceable, providing a reliable framework for environmental oversight.
Maintaining the Digital Register
Once registered, companies are required to maintain their chronological register (registre chronologique) electronically within RNDTS. Each stage of a waste’s lifecycle — from generation and collection to transport, treatment, or recovery — must be accurately recorded in the system.
For hazardous waste, the complementary platform Trackdéchets is used instead. All associated documentation, including the BSD (Bordereau de Suivi des Déchets), must be validated electronically by the relevant parties. Because Trackdéchets provides full digital traceability, businesses using it are exempt from keeping a separate chronological register for hazardous waste, as the system’s data is legally equivalent.
This integration between RNDTS and Trackdéchets allows public authorities — including ADEME, DREAL (Regional Directorates for Environment, Planning and Housing), and environmental inspection services — to have real-time visibility over waste flows nationwide.
The Annual Report
In addition to maintaining day-to-day records, businesses must also prepare and submit an annual waste management report. This document provides a comprehensive summary of all waste generated, collected, transported, or treated by the company during the previous calendar year.
The report must be submitted by 1 May of the year following the reporting period and is addressed to ADEME. Once submitted, ADEME forwards the data to the relevant DREAL offices, which oversee regional monitoring and compliance checks.
The annual report plays a crucial role in France’s environmental policy. It allows authorities to track national waste volumes, assess recycling rates, and identify opportunities for improving circular economy practices. Failure to submit the report on time — or submitting incomplete or inaccurate information — can trigger inspections and lead to significant administrative or financial penalties.
Building Trust Through Transparency
The French registration and reporting process might appear complex at first glance, but it ultimately serves a bigger purpose: creating a transparent, data-driven system that strengthens accountability across the entire waste value chain.
For businesses, accurate reporting isn’t just about meeting regulatory obligations. It’s about building credibility — demonstrating that your company operates responsibly, understands its environmental impact, and contributes to a more sustainable European marketplace.
Penalties and the Risks of Non-Compliance
Consequences of Failing to Register or Report Correctly
France’s environmental compliance rules are rigorously enforced, and any failure to meet the obligations set out under RNDTS and Trackdéchets can lead to serious consequences. Whether it’s failing to register in the system, neglecting to upload data, submitting inaccurate information, or missing reporting deadlines — each of these actions constitutes a violation of the French Environmental Code (Code de l’Environnement).
The law applies equally to all businesses, regardless of size or industry. A major industrial manufacturer and a small online retailer are both bound by the same obligations if they generate or handle waste. Crucially, a lack of awareness of the regulations is not considered a valid defense. Authorities treat unintentional omissions in the same way as deliberate avoidance, holding all operators accountable for their environmental responsibilities.
Financial and Administrative Sanctions
Non-compliance can result in both administrative and financial penalties. According to Article L.541-46 of the French Environmental Code, fines may reach up to €75,000, and in severe cases, offenders can face up to two years of imprisonment.
In addition to fines, authorities may impose temporary suspension of a company’s waste-related operations until compliance is restored. The most frequent violations include failing to register with RNDTS or Trackdéchets, incomplete or incorrect maintenance of the chronological register (registre chronologique), late submission of annual reports, and the absence of legally required waste transfer documentation.
Compliance checks are carried out by DREAL (Direction Régionale de l’Environnement, de l’Aménagement et du Logement) and by the national environmental inspectorate. These audits can take the form of digital verifications within the platforms or on-site inspections at facilities, warehouses, or collection points. When irregularities are identified, businesses must correct them immediately. Repeated violations or refusal to cooperate can trigger escalating sanctions and deeper investigations.
Why Transparency Matters More Than Ever
France’s waste management framework is designed to promote total transparency. But transparency isn’t just a legal requirement — it’s fast becoming a strategic business advantage.
Companies that report accurately and manage waste responsibly signal that they operate with integrity and align with Europe’s vision for a sustainable economy. For growing businesses — especially in sectors like e-commerce — this level of credibility is essential. French partners and distributors increasingly expect documented proof of environmental compliance, and a lack of transparency can quickly close doors to new opportunities.
In this context, adhering to RNDTS and Trackdéchets is about far more than avoiding penalties. It’s an investment in trust — a statement that your business values accountability, environmental responsibility, and ethical growth. Transparent operations build stronger partnerships, enhance competitiveness, and lay the foundation for lasting success in one of Europe’s most demanding and sustainability-driven markets.
Conclusion
France’s waste management model stands as a benchmark for digitalization and transparency. The RNDTS and Trackdéchets platforms form a unified ecosystem in which every stage of a waste’s journey — from generation to recycling or final treatment — is digitally recorded and traceable. This approach is fully aligned with France’s broader circular economy strategy, illustrating how technology and environmental policy can work hand in hand to create smarter, more accountable systems.
For businesses, this means that preparation and precision are key. Understanding how these systems operate and ensuring accurate documentation are essential steps toward smooth compliance. Organizing internal processes early — such as waste tracking, assigning responsible staff, and selecting the right IT tools — makes compliance significantly easier and far less time-consuming. This is particularly important for smaller e-commerce businesses entering the French market, where lack of preparation can quickly lead to complications, administrative penalties, and unnecessary costs.
Yet it’s worth remembering that compliance with RNDTS and Trackdéchets is more than a legal requirement — it’s an investment in credibility. Transparent, well-documented environmental practices not only protect your company from sanctions but also strengthen your brand’s reputation and competitiveness in France’s demanding, sustainability-driven market.
If you’re planning to expand your operations to France, partnering with a waste management or environmental compliance expert can help you navigate the registration process confidently and avoid costly mistakes. And that’s where we can help.
Our team specializes in helping businesses integrate seamlessly into France’s regulatory systems, ensuring that every document, registration, and report is handled correctly. Get in touch with us, and let’s make your compliance journey simple, secure, and fully aligned with French environmental law.
