Triman logo France: Info-tri labelling requirements apply to household products and packaging covered by a French extended producer responsibility (EPR) scheme. The Triman mark tells consumers that sorting rules apply; Info-tri explains what to separate and where to place each item. Before selling in France, identify the relevant scheme and the correct information medium.
Key takeaways
- Triman and Info-tri apply to products and packaging covered by a French EPR scheme and supplied to households.
- Your review must cover more than the product: sales packaging and, where supplied to the customer, shipping packaging may also need assessment.
- Sorting instructions depend on the scheme and the components involved, so a generic recycling symbol may not be enough.
- You should organise compliance before placing goods on the French market, including where stock is imported or sold through a marketplace.
- The Triman mark is neither CE marking nor evidence that a product is safe; it is a separate end-of-life information requirement.
Who needs to display the Triman logo France: Info-tri labelling requirements?
In practice, the French market operator placing household products on the market must assess whether Triman and Info-tri apply under a French EPR scheme. That operator may be the manufacturer, importer, own-brand distributor or, depending on the commercial arrangement, the seller introducing the product onto the French market.
EPR schemes organise prevention and end-of-life management for specified product categories. The European framework for packaging includes Directive 94/62/EC on packaging and packaging waste. In France, you should verify the applicable marking rules and sorting instructions with the relevant EPR scheme and competent eco-organisation.
Categories commonly affected
Review at least two levels: the product itself and every item supplied to the consumer. Common examples include:
- household packaging, such as boxes, bottles, pouches, protective inserts, films, leaflets and, depending on delivery arrangements, shipping packaging;
- electrical and electronic equipment, also covered by the WEEE framework in Directive 2012/19/EU;
- batteries and accumulators, covered by Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 on batteries and waste batteries;
- textiles, footwear and clothing;
- furniture, toys, sports, DIY and garden products where the relevant French scheme provides for them.
Example: you sell a reusable water bottle from a German warehouse to a French consumer. The bottle may not fall within a separate product-specific scheme, but its box, protective pouch and delivery carton still require a packaging assessment. Storing stock outside France does not remove the issue when the product is made available to a household in France.
To map storage countries, destination countries and the checks to complete before launch, use Country Compliance. For a broader view of EPR duties on marketplaces, see our guide to packaging EPR for marketplace sellers.
EU Seller Kit — Start with the EU Market Entry Compliance Assessment if you do not yet know which product, packaging, VAT and import obligations apply to your business. It structures the checks to complete, but does not register you with an eco-organisation.
What must Triman and Info-tri labelling contain?
The Triman mark tells the consumer that a sorting rule applies; Info-tri explains the destination of each item. You therefore need to describe the product and its packaging components precisely enough for the buyer to sort them correctly.
Useful sorting information distinguishes, for example, a cardboard box, plastic film, paper leaflet, removable battery or electrical appliance. Graphic rules, wording and exceptions are not identical across all schemes. Use the current rules and artwork charter for the relevant scheme rather than copying a visual from an old package.
Where should the information appear: product, packaging, leaflet or online page?
The information must be accessible to the consumer. The appropriate medium depends on the product size, packaging configuration, relevant scheme and practical constraints. In some cases it can appear on the packaging; in others, a leaflet or another medium accepted by the scheme may need to be considered.
Do not confuse this obligation with product-safety information for distance sales. Regulation (EU) 2023/988 on general product safety (GPSR) has its own traceability and online-information requirements for consumer products. An Amazon or Shopify listing may need to show GPSR information, but it does not automatically replace sorting information that must accompany the product.
Before publication, the Marketplace Product Compliance Scanner helps identify traceability and compliance information to verify on a listing. For distance-selling requirements, also read our guide to mandatory GPSR labelling information.
When must Triman and Info-tri be ready?
You should integrate the marking before the product is placed on the French market. In practical terms, do this before packaging is printed, stock is sent to a warehouse or a product reference goes live where your process would make later corrections difficult.
The obligation does not begin when a customer disposes of the packaging. It needs to be planned at the product-design, packing and logistics stages. A late correction can mean repacking stock, adding a leaflet or pausing a listing while you correct the information.
Importing from outside the EU: plan for two separate workstreams
If you ship from Shenzhen to an Amazon FBA warehouse in Germany, deal with two distinct matters:
- importation, including customs formalities, VAT and identification of the operator; and
- making products available to French consumers, including French EPR and sorting-information obligations.
An EORI number is used for customs operations; it is not registration with an EPR scheme and does not validate a Triman visual. The European Commission explains the role of EORI in its official guidance on Economic Operators Registration and Identification. If you are preparing a first import, follow our guide to importing stock into the EU: EORI, customs and VAT to sequence these tasks.
How do you implement Triman and Info-tri step by step?
Start with the actual composition of the product and packaging, then document the applicable French EPR scheme before approving artwork. Do not simply ask your factory to “add the Triman logo”: it may not know your final packaging configuration or the French scheme rules.
Operational procedure
- Identify who places the product on the French market. Establish which entity sells to the consumer, imports the goods or applies its own brand. This affects EPR steps and operational responsibility.
- List every component supplied to the customer. Include the product, accessories, leaflet, primary and secondary packaging, plus shipping packaging where it reaches the household.
- Identify the relevant EPR schemes. A connected device may involve packaging, electrical and electronic equipment, and batteries where a battery is supplied. Obligations often overlap.
- Obtain the scheme’s sorting instructions and graphic rules. Check which items must be shown, required wording, special cases and permitted media. Keep the version of the charter you used.
- Prepare the labelling artwork. Match each component to its sorting instruction, then submit the visual to internal review before printing or publication.
- Align sales data. Product, logistics and marketplace teams should use the same component description. A supplier’s change to the box can make Info-tri inaccurate.
- Keep evidence. Retain the component specification, final-product photographs, approved artwork, scheme references and supplier communications.
Checklist before your first sale in France
- I have identified the entity placing each product reference on the French market.
- I have assessed the product separately from all packaging supplied with it.
- I have checked which French EPR schemes may apply.
- I use current sorting instructions and graphic rules from the relevant scheme.
- The visual matches the packaging actually delivered to the consumer.
- My product listings, leaflets and packaging do not contradict one another.
- I retain documents that explain my assessment if an authority or marketplace asks.
For sellers starting with several countries, products and trade flows, the EU Market Entry Compliance Assessment creates a structured checklist covering EORI, VAT, GPSR, CE marking, packaging and Digital Product Passport data readiness.
What documents and effort should you expect?
There is no single mandatory file called a “Triman dossier”. You should, however, be able to show a coherent process: what product is sold, which materials reach the customer, which scheme was selected and which sorting information was applied.
The workload depends mainly on the number of product references and packaging variants. A brand shipping one stable product in one box can operate a straightforward control. A marketplace seller changing suppliers, cartons, storage countries or promotional bundles should repeat the assessment whenever there is a material change.
Practical records to keep
Keep at least:
- the product specification and component list;
- packaging-material specifications from the factory;
- photographs of the final product and packaging;
- the marking rules consulted from the competent scheme;
- source artwork files and printed versions;
- logistics agreements or confirmations stating the packaging supplied to the customer;
- evidence of EPR registration or contributions where the scheme requires them.
Example: a US manufacturer sells wireless headphones in France. It should assess the box and protective insert as packaging, the device under the WEEE scheme, and the integrated battery according to its configuration. If the headphones use wireless functionality, it must also check applicable product rules, including Directive 2014/53/EU on radio equipment. Triman does not replace CE marking or conformity assessment.
For CE-marked products, consult the practical CE marking guide for EU sellers. Where CE authorised representation is both needed and permitted under the applicable legislation, it requires a written mandate: the CE Authorised Representative service does not replace the manufacturer’s testing, technical documentation or EU declaration of conformity.
EU Seller Kit — Use the Marketplace Product Compliance Scanner before publishing a listing, and consider the CE Authorised Representative service only where the applicable CE legislation permits representation and a written mandate is required.
Which mistakes most often lead to a blocked listing or correction?
Problems rarely arise from one missing logo alone. More often, they result from an incomplete review of the product, packaging or seller’s role. The practical outcome may be a request for documents, a listing correction, a temporary listing removal or a market-surveillance enquiry.
Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 on market surveillance and compliance of products provides the framework for cooperation and controls concerning products placed on the Union market. This does not mean every labelling issue produces the same enforcement outcome: the competent authority assesses the facts, product and applicable national framework.
Confusions to avoid
Using a recycling symbol instead of Info-tri. A generic symbol does not necessarily give the required instruction for each component. Do not assume it meets French requirements.
Forgetting the shipping carton. You may assess the retail box but overlook the carton and protective material delivered to the consumer. The actual delivery journey matters.
Copying a competitor’s visual. Materials, components and schemes may differ. The competitor may also be using outdated or unsuitable artwork.
Assuming Amazon, Etsy or another platform carries the whole obligation. A platform may request information or block a listing, but it does not automatically make your product compliant. Check your contractual and regulatory responsibilities.
Mixing up Triman, GPSR and CE marking. Triman concerns sorting; GPSR concerns general consumer-product safety; CE marking applies only to categories covered by sector-specific EU legislation. These are separate compliance layers.
If a listing has already been suspended, our guide to an Amazon listing blocked for compliance helps you separate the information to correct from the documents to assemble.
Which special cases should you review before selling?
Composite products, bundles and cross-border sales require a closer assessment. The practical rule is straightforward: examine what the French consumer actually receives, then check the schemes covering each element.
Bundles, gift sets and promotional gifts
A gift set can contain several products and several forms of packaging. A candle sold with a textile accessory, button-cell battery and gift box should not be treated as one undifferentiated reference. Document components separately and check whether each category falls within a different scheme.
Free gifts added to an order also count. If you include a tote bag or small electronic accessory, it does not fall outside the assessment merely because it is free.
Products sold in several countries
Triman and Info-tri are part of a French system. Do not present them as a uniform EU-wide standard. Regulation (EU) 2025/40 on packaging and packaging waste (PPWR) changes the European packaging framework, but operational obligations must still be checked country by country during implementation.
The same box sold in France, Germany and Spain may therefore need a country-specific labelling strategy and separate registrations. Read our guide to the PPWR for sellers before standardising packaging across markets.
Very small products or packaging changed after import
Where printable space is limited, do not decide unilaterally to omit the information. Check solutions accepted by the relevant scheme, such as a leaflet, digital medium or another permitted arrangement. Similarly, if a logistics provider repacks the product after import, Info-tri must reflect the new packaging actually supplied to the customer.
Tools and services to take action
- EU Market Entry Compliance Assessment: use it before a first launch or entry into a new market to identify checks for packaging, EPR, products, VAT and imports.
- Country Compliance: use this tool to organise requirements by origin, storage and sales country, particularly when you deliver to France from another EU country.
- Marketplace Product Compliance Scanner: use it before publication to identify product, safety and traceability information to verify on Amazon, eBay, Etsy or Shopify listings.
- EU compliance tools: consult the tool catalogue when you need to structure customs, VAT, tariff classification, country or supplier checks around a launch.
- EU Seller Kit pricing and plans: review this page to compare SaaS features and relevant add-on services for your situation.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Triman logo mandatory for every product sold in France?
No. The scope depends in particular on whether the product or its packaging falls within a French EPR scheme and is intended for households. Even where the product itself is not in a specific scheme, its household packaging may still need assessment.
Must an overseas seller display Triman?
Yes, being established outside France does not remove the need to check the rules when products are made available to households in France. A seller established outside the EU should separately assess import, VAT, product-safety and EU representation duties according to the product and sales route.
Does Triman replace CE marking?
No. Triman and Info-tri concern sorting instructions and end-of-life management. CE marking concerns conformity with EU requirements applying to certain product categories; both can apply to the same item without replacing one another.
Can I put Info-tri only on my Amazon or Shopify listing?
Do not assume that this is sufficient. The permitted presentation method depends on the scheme and product, while distance-sales obligations have their own rules. Check the accepted medium for your category and ensure the information accompanies the product as required.
Does the shipping carton need to be considered?
It should be assessed where it is supplied to the consumer, because it then becomes packaging whose end of life occurs in the household. The result depends on the logistics model: a carton used only between businesses is not assessed in the same way as a parcel delivered to a home.
Do I need to register with an eco-organisation to use Triman?
Registration and contributions depend on the EPR scheme, your role as the market operator and your activity. Applying a visual does not replace any required registration steps; check the conditions of the relevant scheme directly or seek professional advice for your specific case.
Official sources
- Directive 94/62/EC on packaging and packaging waste — the European framework for packaging and its end-of-life management.
- Regulation (EU) 2025/40 on packaging and packaging waste (PPWR) — the revised EU framework for packaging and packaging waste.
- Regulation (EU) 2023/988 — General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) — safety, traceability and information requirements for consumer products.
- Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 on market surveillance and compliance of products — the framework for market surveillance and cooperation for products placed on the Union market.
- Directive 2012/19/EU on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) — EU rules on electrical and electronic equipment at end of life.
- Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 on batteries and waste batteries — the EU framework for batteries and their end-of-life management.
- Directive 2014/53/EU on radio equipment — requirements for radio equipment, including certain connected devices.
- European Commission — Economic Operators Registration and Identification (EORI) — the role of EORI identification in customs formalities.
This content provides general information and is not legal advice.