Citeo
Citeo is a French state-approved non-profit eco-organization founded in 1992 that manages Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging and paper, channeling €1.6 billion in annual eco-contributions to fund collection, sorting, reuse, and recycling for 132,000+ client-partners and 629 local authorities across France.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1992
- HeadquartersParis, France
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Citeo does
Citeo is a French non-profit eco-organization (société anonyme à but non lucratif) founded in 1992 that manages Extended Producer Responsibility (REP) for packaging and paper waste in France. Headquartered in Paris with 469–474 employees, Citeo operates as a state-granted (agréé) intermediary between regulated producers ("metteurs en marché") and local waste-management authorities, channeling approximately €1.6 billion in annual eco-contributions into collection, sorting, reuse, and recycling infrastructure that serves 100% of French citizens. The group comprises four wholly-owned eco-organisms: CITEO EMP (household packaging and graphic papers), Adelphe (wines & spirits, health, retail), CITEO PRO (restaurant and professional packaging), and CITEO Soin & Hygiène (single-use sanitary textiles).
Citeo's product and technology stack centers on a digital compliance and infrastructure platform: client portals (Espace Client, Espace Territoires), the TREE ecodesign assessment tool, the Quitri sorting solution for venues, the "Moins c'est mieux" citizen reporting platform, and operational funding programs (EncoRE reuse calls for projects, AAP Collecte for municipalities). Its flagship Citeo ReUse initiative, launched in 2025, deploys standardized R-Coeur reusable containers and deposit-return collection machines across 400+ stores in four French regions, supported by 50+ brands. Citeo's moat is rooted in state-approved monopoly positions across REP schemes, mutualized capital scale, and an installed base of 132,000+ client-partners and 629 active local authorities.
The business model is non-profit: producers legally obligated to finance end-of-life packaging management pay eco-modulated eco-contributions to Citeo, which redistributes the funds to local authorities, sorting centers, and innovation programs. The go-to-market is enterprise field sales with regional territory managers across six French macro-regions, supported by advisory services, ecodesign consulting, regulatory compliance support, and co-construction of 3R (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) initiatives. Since 2020, Citeo has operated as an "entreprise à mission" with statutory environmental objectives.
Citeo firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Citeo
- Legal name
- Citeo
- Website
- https://citeo.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1992
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Citeo is a French state-approved non-profit eco-organization founded in 1992 that manages Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging and paper, channeling €1.6 billion in annual eco-contributions to fund collection, sorting, reuse, and recycling for 132,000+ client-partners and 629 local authorities across France.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Citeo industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Packaging Compliance Services
- NAICS
- Environmental Consulting Services (541620), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (924)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Circularity Consulting & Program Management (EPR, Design-for-Circularity, LCA) (EUAIANAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Circular Economy & Waste/Materials Reporting (Zero waste, packaging) (EUAHAJAL), Packaging Recovery & Closed-Loop Programs (Take-Back, Deposit-Return, EPR Support) (IMALAMAF)
Keywords
Where Citeo is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Paris
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Citeo business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Eco-contributions (écocontributions): Companies that place packaging and paper products on the French market pay eco-contributions to Citeo. These contributions are not taxes — they are entirely dedicated to funding collection, sorting, reuse, recycling, and citizen awareness activities. The amount is modulated based on the environmental characteristics of the product (eco-modulation). Citeo operates as a non-profit entity. The total eco-contribution managed is approximately €1.6 billion annually.
- Government-agréé (REP) Funding Model: As a state-approved eco-organism, Citeo channels mandatory eco-contributions from producers into a mutualized system that finances local authorities, sorting centers, and recycling infrastructure. This is a public-private partnership model mandated by French and EU law.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Eco-contribution rates vary by material type and ecodesign performance |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
Citeo product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Citeo is a French non-profit éco-organisme that operates the Extended Producer Responsibility (REP) system for packaging and papers on behalf of regulated producers. Companies that place packaging and paper on the French market pay eco-contributions (approximately €1.6 billion managed annually) to Citeo, which are fully reinvested into funding collection, sorting, reuse, and recycling infrastructure across 645 partner local authorities. Citeo delivers regulatory compliance advisory, ecodesign consulting via the TREE tool, the nationwide Citeo ReUse reusable packaging system, and funding programs that support external circular economy innovation projects.
Product overview
CITEO is a group of four complementary eco-organisms managing Extended Producer Responsibility (REP) for packaging and papers in France. The core offering includes CITEO EMP (household packaging and papers), Adelphe (wines, spirits, health sectors), CITEO Pro (professional and restaurant packaging), and CITEO Soin & Hygiène (single-use sanitary textiles). Supporting services include Citeo ReUse (national reusable packaging system), TREE (ecodesign evaluation tool), Quitri (sorting solution for venues), EncoRE funding program for reuse projects, and the 'Moins c'est mieux' citizen reporting platform. The group manages €1.6 billion in eco-contributions annually, serves 132,000+ client partners, and partners with 629 local authorities across France.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- CITEO Emballages Ménagers et Papiers (CITEO EMP) Primary eco-organism responsible for Extended Producer Responsibility (REP) for household packaging and graphic papers in France. Manages eco-contributions, supports companies in eco-design, and funds collection, sorting, reuse, and recycling initiatives. Operating as an enterprise with mission status since 2020.
- Adelphe Eco-organism for household packaging and graphic papers, specializing in wines & spirits, health, and retail sectors. Works alongside CITEO EMP to support producers in their environmental responsibility under REP.
- CITEO PRO Eco-organism exclusively dedicated to professional packaging. Approved as the sole eco-organization for restaurant packaging REP since March 2024 and for professional packaging REP effective July 2026. Covers restaurant, transport, grouping, and sale-to-professional packaging streams.
- CITEO Soin & Hygiène Eco-organism for Single-Use Sanitary Textiles (Textiles Sanitaires à Usage Unique - TSUU). Manages wet wipes used for hygiene, care, beauty, detergents, and cleaning, with a target of -15% reduction in single-use wipes placed on the market by 2030.
- Citeo ReUse Large-scale national reusable packaging initiative creating a shared system for reusable containers in food retail. First nationwide mutualized reuse loop for food packaging in major retail stores, piloting across 4 regions with standardized R-Coeur containers, deposit-return mechanism, and collection machines.
- TREE (Outil d'écoconception) Online ecodesign tool helping companies evaluate the recyclability of their packaging. Provides recommendations for eco-design improvements to enhance circularity. Differentiated by ease of use and implementation.
- Quitri Solution for event venues and consumption spaces to deploy visible and effective sorting, adapted to location type and valued with the public.
- EncoRE (Appel à projets réemploi) Funding program supporting reuse projects across France. Invested €33 million in 144 reuse projects by 2023, committing €50 million annually for reuse promotion, with over 370 reuse projects supported since 2018 under the EncoRE plus de réemploi call for projects.
- AAP Collecte (Appel à projets collecte) Funding program for local authorities to optimize selective collection in their municipalities. Supports projects for improving recycling performance and costs of waste collection.
Quantifiable outcome
- 69% of household packaging and paper recycled in 2024
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Citeo
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Citeo technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Citeo partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Plastic EnergycorePlastic Energy supplies its patented pyrolysis technology to TotalEnergies' advanced plastics recycling plant at Grandpuits, France — of which Citeo is a long-term plastic waste supply partner. The plant converts 15,000 tons/year of hard-to-recycle plastic waste into synthetic oil for recycled plastics production.
- PapreccorePaprec is a long-term plastic waste supply partner for TotalEnergies' advanced plastics recycling plant at Grandpuits, alongside Citeo. Paprec supplies sorted, hard-to-recycle plastic waste that is converted into synthetic oil via Plastic Energy's pyrolysis technology.
- TotalEnergiescoreCiteo and Paprec serve as long-term plastic waste supply partners for TotalEnergies' Grandpuits Zero-Crude Platform advanced plastics recycling plant, marking France's first such facility. Citeo contributes its upstream plastic waste sourcing network.
- Citeo ReUse Consortium (400+ retailers, 50+ brands)coreCiteo leads a large-scale reusable packaging initiative (Citeo ReUse) spanning four regions of France, involving over 400 stores and more than 50 consumer brands. The initiative uses standardized R-Coeur containers and a deposit-return system with collection machines, aiming to deploy millions of reusable containers by end of 2026 and establish a nationwide shared system by 2027.
- The Shift ProjectminorCiteo contributed to The Shift Project's study on decarbonation of the pharmaceutical industry, providing expertise and data on industrial environmental impacts.
- Groupement des Hôtelleries et Restaurations de France (GHR)minorGHR relays CITEO Pro's information campaigns and organizes webinars on sorting and reuse obligations for the hospitality sector.
- IPC – Innovation Plasturgie CompositesminorPartnership with IPC to reduce the environmental impact of plastics through applied research and innovation projects.
- Centre d'études et d'expertise en biomimétisme (Ceebios)minorCeebios collaborates with Citeo on workshops around innovation and ecodesign by observing biological systems, including reflections on the recyclability of plastic pump bottles.
- LPO – Ligue pour la Protection des OiseauxminorPartnership to improve knowledge on abandoned waste and reduce its impact on biodiversity and marine pollution.
- Office Français de la Biodiversité (OFB)minorOFB and Citeo collaborate on programs to reduce marine waste and carry out joint prevention and collection actions for abandoned waste along coastlines.
- World Cleanup DayminorCiteo supports the international cleanup day, raising public awareness about abandoned waste, particularly among youth with activity notebooks for ages 6–12.
- Label Éco-École (Teragir)minorPartnership with Teragir to help school establishments move toward eco-responsible operations and integrate education for sustainable development (EDD) into teaching.
- Producer Responsibility CoalitioncoreCiteo and the Producer Responsibility Coalition reaffirm their commitment to advance Extended Producer Responsibility globally, particularly following setbacks in Geneva negotiations at UNEP. Citeo leads an international coalition of 50+ eco-organisms advocating for REP as a tool in the global plastic pollution treaty.
- PROsPA (European Producer Organisations)minorCiteo is a member of PROsPA, one of the European associations of REP organizations, contributing to the Circular Plastics Alliance and EU-level harmonization efforts.
- Fost Plus, Valipac, Verpact, ValorluxminorCiteo has operational collaborations with other European eco-organisms (Fost Plus, Valipac, Verpact, Valorlux) to provide mutual clients with more solutions and facilitate joint reporting and declarations related to packaging.
Scale indicators13 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Citeo competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Fost Plus: Belgian packaging eco-organism managing Extended Producer Responsibility for household packaging in Belgium. Directly comparable to Citeo EMP — both operate as state-approved PROs funded by eco-contributions, financing municipal collection and recycling. Citeo has an operational collaboration with Fost Plus for joint reporting and declarations.
- Verpact: Dutch packaging PRO managing EPR for packaging and paper in the Netherlands. Directly comparable business model (state-approved eco-organism, eco-contributions from producers, mutualized funding of collection/recycling). Citeo is an operational collaborator with Verpact for cross-border client services.
- Valipac: Belgian PRO focused on industrial/commercial packaging waste, complementing Fost Plus. Comparable as a state-approved PRO in the Benelux region, with the same REP funding architecture as Citeo PRO. Operational collaboration partner with Citeo.
- Valorlux: Luxembourg's PRO for household packaging. Direct functional equivalent at smaller scale — manages eco-contributions, finances municipal sorting, and runs citizen awareness. Operational collaboration partner with Citeo.
- Reclay Group: German PRO and environmental services provider managing packaging compliance under the German Packaging Act (Verpackungsgesetz). Comparable to Citeo as a competing European PRO with cross-border services and EPR compliance expertise.
Broad incumbents
- SUEZ: Major global waste management and water services company operating sorting, recycling, and recovery infrastructure that Citeo funds through eco-contributions. Comparable as a downstream operator in the same value chain, but with a broader portfolio (water, waste-to-energy, smart utilities) and a for-profit listed-entity structure.
- Veolia: Global environmental services incumbent (waste management, water, energy). Like SUEZ, Veolia operates recycling infrastructure funded in part by PRO eco-contributions and is a broader incumbent in the same circular-economy space, with much larger global scale than Citeo.
- Paprec: French recycling and waste management group, one of France's largest private recycling companies. Co-partner with Citeo in supplying hard-to-recycle plastic waste to TotalEnergies' Grandpuits pyrolysis plant. Comparable as a downstream recycling operator receiving Citeo-funded material flows.
Emerging players
- TOMRA: Norwegian technology company specializing in reverse vending machines and collection systems for beverage containers. Comparable to Citeo ReUse's deposit-return system (using collection machines in 400+ stores) and is a likely infrastructure partner as France scales reuse under AGEC/PPWR.
- Plastic Energy: Advanced plastics recycling company using patented pyrolysis technology. Citeo is a long-term plastic waste supply partner for Plastic Energy's Grandpuits facility (15,000 tons/year) via TotalEnergies. Comparable as a strategic partner in Citeo's chemical recycling value chain.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Citeo social profiles
Digital presenceCiteo financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Citeo leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Citeo subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
Citeo funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Citeo M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments1 record
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Citeo
What does Citeo do?
Citeo is a French non-profit éco-organisme that operates the Extended Producer Responsibility (REP) system for packaging and papers on behalf of regulated producers. Companies that place packaging and paper on the French market pay eco-contributions (approximately €1.6 billion managed annually) to Citeo, which are fully reinvested into funding collection, sorting, reuse, and recycling infrastructure across 645 partner local authorities. Citeo delivers regulatory compliance advisory, ecodesign consulting via the TREE tool, the nationwide Citeo ReUse reusable packaging system, and funding programs that support external circular economy innovation projects.
Is Citeo a public or private company?
Citeo is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Citeo founded?
Citeo was founded in 1992. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Citeo based?
Citeo is headquartered in Paris, France, in the Europe region.
How does Citeo make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Eco-contributions (écocontributions) is the primary driver. The others are government-agréé (REP) Funding Model.
Who are Citeo's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Fost Plus, Verpact, Valipac, Valorlux and Reclay Group. Broad incumbents are SUEZ, Veolia and Paprec. Emerging players are TOMRA and Plastic Energy.
Does Citeo have an API?
No public API is recorded for Citeo.
What industry is Citeo in?
Citeo's product category is Packaging Compliance Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAIANAH, Circularity Consulting & Program Management (EPR, Design-for-Circularity, LCA), with a secondary code of EUAHAJAL, Circular Economy & Waste/Materials Reporting (Zero waste, packaging). Its NAICS code is 541620.