What DIY and garden EPR actually means
DIY & garden EPR compliance means paying to collect and recycle DIY and garden products once they are discarded, a cost placed on whoever first puts them on the market.
Like most product-specific EPR beyond packaging and electronics, it exists in one country. France built it under its anti-waste law, next to the sports and leisure scheme, and no other market runs it yet.
So the DIY and garden duty is, for now, a French one.
Who owes it and what counts
The duty falls on the first professional to place the products on the French market, whether the maker or an importer bringing them in.
Scope is broad, from hand and power tools and paint accessories to thermal garden machines and the raw materials used in DIY and gardening.
How the French scheme works
France runs this filière with an unusual twist. Instead of one scheme, four eco-organismes split the stream by product family, so the first thing to get right is which one your products belong to.
Once you have matched your products to the right scheme, you register, declare what you place on the French market, and pay an eco-contribution on each article. Foreign sellers do the same through a local representative.
DIY and garden is one duty split across four schemes. Getting the right one is step zero.
Frequently asked questions about DIY & garden EPR compliance
Short answers to what DIY and garden sellers ask most.
Is DIY and garden EPR an EU-wide rule?
No. France runs the only scheme, and there is no EU-wide DIY or garden EPR. Sell into France and the duty applies; elsewhere it does not yet.
Why are there four schemes?
Because the stream is split by product family. Paint-related tooling, thermal machines and building-type materials each sit with a different eco-organisme, so you may deal with more than one depending on your range.
Who has to comply?
The first professional to place DIY or garden products on the French market, whether it makes them or imports them to sell.
Do foreign sellers need a representative in France?
Usually. A seller without a French establishment appoints an authorised representative to register and pay on its behalf.
