Anti-Waste Law 2020

The Anti-Waste Law 2020 or Law No. 2020-105 of 10 February 2020 on the fight against waste and the circular economy is the French transposition of the European objectives of the Directives of the Circular Economy Package. The Law establishes a comprehensive framework for extended producer responsibility (EPR) and recycling in France.

While most of its provisions focus on plastic and food waste, the following aspects are of note:

• The law establishes EPR Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes for various product categories, such as requiring the collection and recycling of electronic waste components, including rare metals from devices like phones and tablets. 
• The law imposes a take-back requirement for retailers, who must accept used products in certain categories. From January 2022, this applies to electrical/electronic equipment.
• Producers and importers of waste-generating products are required to inform consumers of the environmental qualities and characteristics, like incorporation of recycled material, use of renewable resources, recyclability, presence of precious metals or rare earths.
• Producers, importers, distributors, other marketers of electrical and electronic equipment are required to communicate the repairability index of the equipment, stating the ability to repair the product concerned.
• Within one year of the law, the Government is required to submit a report on the establishment of a regulatory framework for recycling strategic and critical metals by agromining.

The law emerges from France's commitment to circular economy principles and builds upon existing waste management legislation, particularly the Environmental Code (Code de l'environnement). It expands previous EPR schemes while introducing new obligations for manufacturers, retailers, and waste management operators. The law operates alongside the Commercial Code (Code de commerce) and General Local Authorities Code (Code général des collectivités territoriales), creating interconnected responsibilities across different sectors of the economy. 

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