Triman and Info-tri: France's Sorting Label Rules and the PPWR Harmonised Label

The Triman logo and the Info-tri sorting instructions have been mandatory in France since 1 January 2022 on household packaging and graphic papers covered by extended producer responsibility, under Article L. 541-9-3 of the Environmental Code. As of 24 October 2026 both remain mandatory, while the Commission's action against France (Case C-249/26) is pending and the EU harmonised sorting label applies from 12 August 2028 at the earliest.

The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) has applied directly in France since 12 August 2026 and will bring its own sorting label. This page sets out what Triman and Info-tri are, who must apply them, the legal basis, the digital-only cases, the transition, the fines, the court case and the switch to the EU label.

Compiled by the PackagingRegulation.org Editorial Team from the Regulation's text on EUR-Lex and the cited official sources; see our methodology and fact-checking. As of 24 October 2026.

The key facts on Triman and Info-tri are summarised in the table below.

What Is the Triman Logo?

The Triman logo is France's sorting signage (signalétique de tri): a pictogram telling consumers that a household product or its packaging is subject to a sorting rule, as required by décret n° 2021-835 of 29 June 2021 on consumer information on waste sorting. The logo signals a sorting rule; it does not certify that the packaging is recyclable. Its legal basis is Article L. 541-9-3 of the Environmental Code (Code de l'environnement), and the duty covers household products subject to extended producer responsibility (REP) under Article L. 541-10 I of the same code. The decree places the detailed rules in Articles R. 541-12-17 to R. 541-12-24. Triman never appears alone on French household packaging: the second element, Info-tri, tells the consumer what to do with each part.

What is Info-tri?

Info-tri is the sorting instruction that accompanies the Triman logo and tells consumers which bin or drop-off point each part of the packaging goes to. The instruction follows the sorting information provided by the approved éco-organisme (approved producer responsibility organisation) of each stream. For household packaging and graphic papers, the approved éco-organismes are Citeo, Adelphe and Léko, each approved from 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2029, according to ADEME. Article L. 541-9-3 adds a harmonisation trigger: once more than 50 % of the population is covered by a harmonised sorting system, the éco-organisme moves Info-tri towards uniformity.

Is the Triman Logo Mandatory in France?

Yes: since 1 January 2022 every household product subject to extended producer responsibility in France, including household packaging, must carry the Triman logo together with Info-tri, unless an exemption applies. The application was phased from that date, stream by stream, under décret n° 2021-835.

The obligation rests on producers of household products under the French EPR schemes, as defined in Article L. 541-10 I of the Environmental Code. The PPWR does not suspend it: as of 24 October 2026 Triman and Info-tri are still mandatory nationally, and the Commission's non-binding Notice C/2026/3084 ends national labels next to the EU label only from the Article 12(1) date.

Which packaging does not carry the Triman logo?

Household glass beverage packaging is the exemption written into the law: the Triman logo is not affixed to it, under Article L. 541-9-3 and Article R. 541-12-21 of the Environmental Code. The Commission's notice of action in Case C-249/26 records the same exclusion of household glass drinks packaging. Outside that exemption, the obligation covers household products only.

Which French Law Requires Triman and Info-tri?

Article L. 541-9-3 of the Environmental Code, inserted by Article 17 of the AGEC law (loi n° 2020-105 of 10 February 2020) and in force since 12 February 2020, requires the Triman logo and Info-tri; décret n° 2021-835 of 29 June 2021 sets the details in Articles R. 541-12-17 to R. 541-12-24. The AGEC law appeared in the JORF on 11 February 2020. The three texts that make up the French Triman regime are listed below.

• Article L. 541-9-3 C. env.: the duty to show the Triman logo and Info-tri on household products under REP, with the glass beverage exemption (Légifrance).
• Décret n° 2021-835 of 29 June 2021: the detailed rules in Articles R. 541-12-17 to R. 541-12-24, applied from 1 January 2022.
• Article L. 541-9-4 C. env.: the administrative fines for breaches of the Triman and Info-tri rules.

How Must Triman and Info-tri Appear on Packaging?

Triman and Info-tri are shown together on the product or its packaging, and the decree allows them to move to a digital medium only where the packaging surface is too small. Article R. 541-12-21 of the Environmental Code sets surface thresholds for that move, and Article R. 541-12-20 lets another mandatory common signage take the place of the French one.

When may Triman and Info-tri be shown only in digital form?

A product whose largest face is under 10 cm² and that comes with no other document may show both Triman and Info-tri in digital form only, under Article R. 541-12-21 of the Environmental Code, as amended by décret n° 2022-975. Between 10 and 20 cm², only Info-tri may move to the digital medium, so the Triman logo stays on the packaging. Cylindrical or spherical products use thresholds of 20 and 40 cm² instead. The three digital-only cases are compared in the table below.

These thresholds are French rules only. The EU rules for digital labels are covered under PPWR QR codes and digital labelling.

Can an EU or other Member State sorting label replace Triman?

Yes: under Article R. 541-12-20 of the Environmental Code, the French signage may be replaced by another mandatory common signage regulated by the European Union or by another Member State. Whether a specific foreign label meets the test is a case-by-case question: check with the competent authority.

How Long Did Producers Have to Switch to Info-tri?

Producers had to apply Info-tri within 12 months after the éco-organisme's sorting information was accepted, and could sell existing stock for up to 6 more months, under Article R. 541-12-18 of the Environmental Code. The transition therefore ran stream by stream: the phased application began on 1 January 2022, and each REP stream's 12-month period started from the acceptance of its own éco-organisme's information. Existing stock could stay on sale for up to 6 months after the 12-month deadline, so the window closed at most 18 months after acceptance (12 plus 6 months).

What Are the Fines for Missing Triman or Info-tri?

A breach of the Triman and Info-tri rules carries 2026 maximum fines of EUR 3,000 for a natural person and EUR 15,000 for a legal person under Article L. 541-9-4 of the Environmental Code (Légifrance). These are the Triman-specific amounts.

The higher figures sometimes quoted belong to another article. Article L. 541-9-5 sets the general REP sanctions of up to EUR 1,500 per unit or tonne for a natural person and EUR 7,500 per unit or tonne for a legal person (2026), for breaches of extended producer responsibility duties, not for missing sorting signage. The fine for a missing Triman logo or Info-tri instruction is therefore read in Article L. 541-9-4 alone.

Why Is the Commission Taking France to the Court of Justice over Triman?

The European Commission considers that the Triman and Info-tri requirements hinder the free movement of goods and were not notified in advance, and it brought an action against France before the Court of Justice on 26 March 2026 (Case C-249/26). The action pleads two grounds: Article 34 TFEU against the requirements of Article L. 541-9-3 and décret n° 2021-835, and Article 5 of Directive (EU) 2015/1535, because Article 17 of the AGEC law was not notified in advance. The Commission's referral press release IP/25/1834 cites Articles 34 to 36 TFEU. The notice of action appeared in the Official Journal (OJ C, C/2026/2510, 11.5.2026), and the language of the case is French.

The case is pending as of 24 October 2026; the obligation applies until a judgment or a change in French law. The infringement INFR(2022)4028 went through the steps listed below before the referral.

What Happens to Triman When the PPWR Harmonised Sorting Label Applies?

France may no longer keep the Triman logo next to the EU harmonised sorting label once Article 12(1) of the PPWR applies, from 12 August 2028 or 24 months after the Commission's implementing acts on the label, whichever is the latest, according to the Commission's guidance. That guidance is Commission Notice C/2026/3084 (OJ C, 10.6.2026), which is non-binding, and it states: "Packaging labelling under the scope of Article 12 is exhaustive and fully harmonised, except as regards deposit and return schemes. National rules which add sorting instructions are not allowed". On that reading, Info-tri is a national sorting instruction of the kind the Notice excludes. How to read the Commission's non-binding Notice is explained under PPWR guidance.

The dates that lead from Triman to the EU label are set out in the table below.

The Article 12(6) implementing act on the label was due on 12 August 2026 and is not adopted as of 24 October 2026, so the 24-month limb now sets the start of the EU sorting label. Packaging manufactured in the Union or imported before the labelling requirement applies may still be placed on the market for 3 years from that date, under Article 12(12) of the PPWR (OJ L, 2025/40, 22.1.2025, EUR-Lex). The EU sorting, reuse and deposit labels are explained under PPWR labelling requirements.

Is the Triman logo already prohibited under the PPWR?

No: as of 24 October 2026 the Triman logo and Info-tri remain mandatory in France, because the Article 12(1) PPWR label does not apply before 12 August 2028 at the earliest. Article 12(8) of the PPWR already bars misleading labels since 12 August 2026, but that rule does not name Triman.

How Does Triman Fit with France's Other Packaging Rules and the EU Labelling Requirements?

Triman and Info-tri are the labelling layer of French packaging EPR, next to the producer register, the approved éco-organismes and the reuse and single-use plastic rules of the AGEC law. The register, the éco-organismes and the authority are covered under PPWR in France.

Triman also applies to other household products under French EPR, which this page does not cover.

Triman entered French law through Article 17 of the AGEC law, in force since 12 February 2020. Its other packaging duties are set out under French AGEC law and packaging.

Triman covers household products only. Professional packaging has its own scheme, covered under REP emballages professionnels.

The PPWR itself has applied in all 27 Member States since 12 August 2026 (Art. 71 PPWR), beside each state's own EPR schemes.

National labels and registers elsewhere are compared under PPWR in the 27 member states.

Will transport and deposit packaging carry the EU harmonised sorting label?

No: Article 12(1) of the PPWR excludes transport packaging, other than e-commerce packaging, and packaging subject to a deposit and return system from the harmonised material label. The future pictograms are described under EU harmonised sorting labels and symbols.

Which PPWR labelling rules already apply in France since 12 August 2026?

Since 12 August 2026 the PPWR already bars labels, marks, symbols or inscriptions likely to mislead or confuse consumers about sustainability requirements, characteristics or waste management options (Art. 12(8)). The material identification rule of Article 8(2) of Directive 94/62/EC continues until 30 months after the Article 12(6) implementing act (Art. 70(1)(a) PPWR), and Decision 97/129/EC is repealed with effect from 12 August 2028 (Art. 70(2) PPWR). Each later PPWR application date and deadline is listed in the PPWR application date and deadline timeline.