News
L'éco-organisme
des entreprises responsables
N°1
We aim to promote healthy and constructive competition to drive the transformation of the household packaging sector.
Today, Germany has eleven eco-packaging organisations, whereas France has been in a monopolistic situation for nearly 30 years. By opening up the French market to a second actor, the public authorities have acknowledged the need to multiply initiatives in order to have a chance of reaching, or even exceeding, France’s recycling target of 75%.
Despite producers providing annual funding of up to €800 M, the recycling rate has plateaued below the 70% mark for several years. At the very least, it will take two eco-organisations to help improve this rate. The provisions of the French Anti-Waste for a Circular Economy (AGEC) Act of 2020 are still being deployed; the French Climate and Resilience law will further reinforce this. With this in mind, Léko aims to actively contribute to achieving the French government’s ambitious objectives, by capitalising on the achievements of the last few years and by building on this new legislation.
Léko News is a new communication tool that aims to share the latest news about our industry and our partners. So, do not hesitate to let us know about your innovations and news!
Enjoy reading!
Patrick Bariol
Managing Director
Since the end of 2021, producers and brands of fast-moving consumer products have been asked to change the sorting instructions on their packaging. Indeed, instruction "To be thrown away" is no longer appropriate across the majority of France. As of today, ALL household packaging must be sorted, either in the traditional “yellow bins” or in glass-recycling bins. Ultimately, once the entire country has switched to this sorting method, no more packaging of any kind should be thrown away with household waste. Léko has worked in conjunction with the other French eco-organisation to implement this new sorting signage, which has been approved by the public authorities.
Léko's objective is to make its members' voices heard and ensure the new signage system is both easy to implement for producers and clear for consumers.
What's new:
It is important to comply with the graphic style-guide for the sorting instructions in order to facilitate identification by consumers, regardless of the brands and products. However, producers have some room for manoeuvre to adapt the message to their products, according to the size, type and colour of their packaging. Several versions (pictograms only, text only, text and pictograms) are available, as well as a "multi-country" signage option.
The sooner these new instructions can be put in place, the better. However, the legislative texts set September 2022 as the deadline for implementation, with a tolerance period to dispose of stock until March 2023, as regards products only concerned by the regulations on household packaging. An additional tolerance period is granted until 15 June 2023 for products concerned by several changes to the markings on packages. After these dates, all packaging used to sell products to consumers will have to carry the new marking, with certain exceptions provided for in the law.
Léko provides its members with a User Guide as well as graphic files to enable them to create signage that is suited to their needs. You can send any questions you may have directly to: adherent@leko-organisme.fr
The new Decree of April 8, 2022 defines the minimum proportion of reused packaging to be put on the market annually in France, it provides a definition of reused packaging, and specifies the producers concerned.
The minimum proportions are to be applied as of January 1, 2023 and are imposed on all producers who place more than 10,000 units of packaged products on the market, who can act individually or collectively.
Léko can act as a collective structure for its members.
The data is then communicated annually to ADEME.
The minimum proportions vary according to the producers' turnover (D. 541-352):
The unit of measurement is for each packaging (primary, secondary or tertiary).
A definition of reused or re-employed packaging is added:
"Reused or re-employed packaging" means packaging that is subject to at least one second use for a purpose of the same nature as that for which it was designed, and whose reuse or re-employement is arranged by or on behalf of the producer. Packaging that has been used at least a second time by being refilled at the point of sale in the context of bulk sales, or at home if it is a refill device organized by the producer, is deemed to be re-employed."
When a regulation prohibits the reuse or the re-employement ,these packagings are excluded from the provisions;
Finally, the Decree sets out the sanctions applicable to previous provisions aimed at reduction and reuse.
The re-employment is part of a more global strategy: The national 3R strategy for single-use plastic packaging (reduction, re-use or re-employment, recycling) published in a Decree of 14 April 2022.
The aim is to "end the use of single-use plastic packaging on the market by 2040" (Article 7 of the AGEC Act).
42 sector based sheets and ten sector-based roadmaps are provided : Don't hesitate to consult these roadmaps and to take ownership of the issues in your sector of activity now!
THE NEW OBLIGATION OF PREVENTION PLANS
The AGEC Act (Article 72) stipulates that producers/retailers are required to draw up a prevention and eco-design plan, updated every 5 years.
The eco-organisation can support the development of a common plan for their members or a group of members (by sector for example). Léko aims to simplify the compliance process for its members and share practices. Do not hesitate to contact us about this subject!
In all cases, the plans must be sent to the eco-organisation, which produces a summary report. This summary is presented to stakeholders, published and updated every 3 years.
The plan must include information about:
Always on the lookout for innovative solutions to reduce its impact on the environment, Léa Nature, an active member and partner of Léko since the beginning, has released a new toothpaste that is original to say the least, since it is crunchy!
One tablet = one use; this is the new tooth brushing experience!
All you have to do is chew the tablet and then brush your teeth in the usual way. This new approach provides a whole new sensory experience.
In addition to the toothpaste’s 100% natural & vegan formula, Léa Nature also aims to reduce the ecological footprint of its packaging, by making the classic plastic or aluminium tube disappear and replacing it with an eco-designed, 100% recyclable box. In France, no less than 180 million tubes of toothpaste are used and then thrown away each year, but most of the time are not recycled.
To address this problem, Léa Nature markets its crunchy toothpaste in a 100% recyclable cardboard box, made from wood from PEFC or FSC-certified sustainably managed forests: one tree cut = one tree replanted. Local supply is also one of the group's main concerns: its cardboard boxes are manufactured in France, less than 3 hours away from its production site, thus reducing its carbon footprint!
In addition to their responsible packaging, solid products have a simpler and healthier composition. Some harmful ingredients found in traditional tube toothpaste formulas are not used in solid toothpaste, such as Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Triclosan or Phenoxyethanol. Without water, chewable toothpaste is a more compact product and allows users to carry it more easily when traveling and to consume the right amount of product needed for effective brushing, without any waste.
Léa Nature is revolutionizing hygiene and cosmetic products by offering alternatives that make sense and by making our daily practices healthier and more ecological !
As both a partner and member of Léko, RePack is making packaging waste disappear from e-commerce.
RePack provides a reusable parcel service for e-retailers who are committed to a more responsible form of commerce. This is a revolutionary solution for online stores that want to reduce their environmental footprint while improving their customer experience.
E-commerce revenues in France grew by 15.1% overall in 2021 according to Fevad*. The 8% increase in product sales has directly resulted in more and more parcel deliveries. With packaging-related carbon emissions accounting for up to 30% of total e-commerce CO2 equivalent emissions, it is therefore crucial to encourage the development of alternative solutions to traditional single-use parcel packaging.
How does RePack work?
In practice, companies ship their products in RePack reusable packages and their customers return the empty RePack free of charge by post. RePack centralises these returns, manages the storage and carries out a quality-control check before re-supplying the companies.
With RePack reusable packaging offered as a value-added service, brands simply replace their single-use packaging and RePack takes care of all the logistics involved in the reuse of Repack packaging.
A response to market expectations.
No less than 91% of French people consider it important to reduce waste according to YouGov data from 2020**, and 90% of consumers expect brands to adopt a zero-waste approach according to Oney data from 2020***; consumer demand is omnipresent.
Companies that have already adopted the RePack solution see it as an asset to differentiate themselves by offering a responsible shipping service.
Moreover, the RePack service provides e-retailers with an economical solution, since raw material prices have increased: + 30% for cardboard between 2020 and 2021 according to UFIPA. Some e-retailers even choose to charge the cost of a RePack to consumers, who appreciate this innovative service offer, even if it means rewarding them with a discount coupon for their next purchase.
RePack reusable parcels are therefore an ideal solution to meet the new challenges facing e-commerce at every level.
*Fevad 2022 Data
** YouGov 2020 Data
*** Oney 2020 Data
Léko is a young, state-approved eco-organisation, which aims to modernise the household packaging sector in France. Founded on the initiative of the Reclay Group, an international player in the management of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), Léko was created to provide companies and institutions with value-added services to manage their packaging obligations.
Our objectives are both simple and ambitious:
Whether you already have a contract with an eco-organisation or you want to ensure compliance with the regulations, simply go to our website: www.leko-organisme.fr/clients/
Do you have any questions? Don’t hesitate to contact us: contact@leko-organisme.fr