Giving products away does not take them out of French EPR where the texts speak to it. The household packaging and paper article covers printed paper issued "y compris à titre gratuit" (including free of charge). 
Légifrance The chemicals stream's producer is whoever makes or imports products "destinés à être cédés à titre onéreux ou à titre gratuit" to the end user. 
ADEME None of the stream pages we checked carves out samples.Sources (5)LégifranceLégifrance — Article L541-10-1, Code de l'environnementADEMEADEME — Filière REP Produits chimiques (PCHIM)ADEMEADEME — Filière REP Textiles sanitaires à usage unique (lingettes)
CiteoCiteo — Pourquoi adhérer : emballages et papiers graphiquesLégifranceLégifrance — article L. 541-10-9-1 of the Environmental Code (full text)
Typical cases
| Case | What to declare |
|---|---|
| Sample sachets and minis sent with orders | Their packaging, in your household packaging declaration Légifrance |
| Catalogues, flyers, brochures handed out or mailed in France | Printed paper, including free ones Sources (2)LégifranceLégifrance — Article L541-10-1, Code de l'environnementCiteoCiteo — Pourquoi adhérer : emballages et papiers graphiques |
| Free cleaning, DIY or garden chemical samples | The chemicals stream, content and container ADEME |
| Free wipes in a gift pack | The wipes stream; distance sellers outside France are producers too ADEME |
| Branded gadgets with a battery or plug (power banks, speakers) ADEME | Electrical equipment and batteries, like sold units |
| Goods given to a French distributor who resells them | Usually the distributor's to declare if it is the first to place them on the French market |
How to keep it simple
- Count samples with your sold units when you declare, by packaging type.
- If samples are your only French activity, the volumes are small and so are the contributions, but the IDU is the same. ADEME
- Keep the shipping list from trade shows and influencer campaigns: it is your quantity record.
If you are not established in France
A company with no establishment in France that is the producer must appoint a representative established in France by written mandate, since 10 July 2026. Légifrance The representative joins the eco-organismes in your name and you receive the IDUs.
Price
Our fee. Standard is €190 a year per eligible stream for household packaging, textiles, furniture, toys, graphic paper, sports and DIY goods, up to 1 tonne a year per stream. Every other stream (electrical equipment, batteries, wipes) and anything above 1 tonne is on Plus: €990 a year for up to three streams. Plus Pro, also €990, when you sell to businesses too. Setup is €0, and eco-contributions are paid at the eco-organisme's rate with 0% markup. See pricing.
Frequently asked questions
Are samples sent to French influencers placed on the market?
They reach French end users and their packaging becomes French household waste, so declare it with your other packaging.
We hand out catalogues at a Paris trade show. Is that EPR?
Yes: printed paper issued in France, including for free, is in the household packaging and paper stream. ADEME
Is there a minimum quantity?
No minimum appears in these texts. Eco-organismes have simplified scales for small volumes, but membership and the IDU are the same. ADEME
Razvan Toma is the founder of EPR France Rep, a France-established authorised representative (mandataire) for producers with no French establishment. He has worked in waste management and recycling since 2009, running waste-separation programmes inside large B2B organisations in France for clients including Chanel, Microsoft, Decathlon, Pirelli, IKEA, Vinci, Capgemini and E.Leclerc.
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