Citeo

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.

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

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

• Packaging compliance
• Producer responsibility
• Recycling services
• Ecodesign consulting
• Waste management

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. 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

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core 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

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Plastic EnergycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 March 2026Plastic 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.
• PapreccoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 March 2026Paprec 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.
• TotalEnergiescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 March 2026Citeo 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)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCiteo 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 ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCiteo 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)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerGHR relays CITEO Pro's information campaigns and organizes webinars on sorting and reuse obligations for the hospitality sector.
• IPC – Innovation Plasturgie CompositesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with IPC to reduce the environmental impact of plastics through applied research and innovation projects.
• Centre d'études et d'expertise en biomimétisme (Ceebios)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCeebios 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 OiseauxminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to improve knowledge on abandoned waste and reduce its impact on biodiversity and marine pollution.
• Office Français de la Biodiversité (OFB)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOFB and Citeo collaborate on programs to reduce marine waste and carry out joint prevention and collection actions for abandoned waste along coastlines.
• World Cleanup DayminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCiteo 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)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Teragir to help school establishments move toward eco-responsible operations and integrate education for sustainable development (EDD) into teaching.
• Producer Responsibility CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCiteo 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)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCiteo 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, ValorluxminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCiteo 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

Direct 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

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCbWPE84is8Zvi2EQNFhOBfA
• Facebookfacebook.com/citeofrance
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/citeo-france
• Instagraminstagram.com/citeofrance
• TikToktiktok.com/@citeofrance
• Xx.com/citeofrance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Citeo