FHER

What FHER does

FHER (Fédération Hygiène & Entretien Responsable) is a French professional federation representing approximately 123 manufacturers of hygiene, cleaning, and maintenance products, covering roughly 80% of the French sector. Founded in 2016 as AFISE and rebranded in May 2022, the federation is headquartered at 12 rue Jean Nicot in Paris's 7th arrondissement and operates with 12 staff. FHER functions as the sector's unified voice on French and European regulatory matters (REACH, CLP, Detergents, Biocides, Certibiocide, REP TSUU) and is the French national member of AISE, the European industry association.

The federation's portfolio centers on three pillars: (1) regulatory and technical advocacy coordinated by a dedicated director and working groups; (2) sustainability and certification programs, notably the Label RSE "Proprement Engagés" evaluated by AFNOR Certification across four star-levels and five commitment axes, the Charte du Nettoyage Durable recognized by ADEME, and the Feuille de route 3R plastics roadmap; and (3) consumer education assets including the Mon Expert Propreté mobile application (with product scanning and digital cabinet features), the PSHIT PSHIT video series, and the European Cleanright.eu portal. Industry events — Congrès Détergence and Congrès Biocides (281 participants from 196 organizations) — supplement these offerings.

FHER generates revenue primarily through membership fees from ~123 member companies, supplemented by RSE Label certification program fees and event-related income. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, and BPI France provides 50% co-financing for member RSE consulting, reducing barriers for SME participation. The federation is governed by a Conseil d'Administration and operates under French association law (loi 1884), with no equity funding, external investors, or subsidiary entities; Sébastien Bossard serves as President and Virginie d'Enfert as Déléguée Générale.

Name

FHER

Legal name

FHER – Fédération de l'Hygiène et de l'Entretien Responsable

Website

https://fher.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

FHER (Fédération Hygiène & Entretien Responsable) is a French professional federation representing approximately 123 manufacturers of hygiene and cleaning products, covering roughly 80% of the French sector (€5.6 billion combined revenue). It provides regulatory advocacy, sustainability certification, and consumer education to member companies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: FHER generates revenue through membership fees from approximately 123 companies in the hygiene and cleaning products manufacturing sector.
2. RSE Label certification fees: The Label RSE 'Proprement Engagés' involves evaluation by AFNOR Certification, with companies paying for the certification process.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

FHER is the French professional federation representing approximately 123 manufacturers of hygiene, cleaning, and maintenance products, covering roughly 80% of the sector. The federation delivers regulatory advocacy, technical and scientific guidance, an RSE certification program (Label Proprement Engagés), sustainability initiatives, sector data and statistics, consumer education tools (Mon Expert Propreté mobile application, PSHIT PSHIT video series, Cleanright.eu portal), and networking events (Congrès Détergence, Congrès Biocides) to its member companies and broader sector stakeholders.

Product overview

FHER (Fédération Hygiène & Entretien Responsable) is a French professional federation representing manufacturers of hygiene and cleaning products. The organization offers a portfolio of industry programs and tools rather than a unified software product. Key offerings include: the "Mon Expert Propreté" mobile application for consumer guidance on product usage and safety; the CSR "Label RSE Proprement Engagés" certification program for member companies evaluated by AFNOR; the "Charte du Nettoyage Durable 2020+" voluntary sustainability charter; consumer education initiatives like the "PSHIT PSHIT" video series and "Je préfère 30°" campaign; product safety programs including "Keep Caps From Kids" and the "Safe Use Icons" labeling system; regulatory initiatives like the "BRES Project" for better product regulation; and sustainability roadmaps including the "Feuille de route 3R" for plastic packaging. FHER also coordinates industry events, publishes guides on environmental impact, recycling, and labeling, and represents members at European level through its affiliation with AISE.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Mon Expert Propreté: Mobile application developed by FHER to help consumers understand how to safely use and store household cleaning and hygiene products, scan products for usage information, and manage an electronic cabinet with expiration alerts.

Products and services

• Mon Expert Propreté Mobile Application Consumer-facing mobile application providing guidance on household cleaning product selection, usage, safety precautions, storage, and expiration tracking via product scanning and digital cabinet features.
• Label RSE Proprement Engagés Certification Sector-specific CSR certification labeling system inspired by ISO 26000, offering 4 levels (1-4 stars) across 5 commitment axes and 22 criteria, with independent evaluation by AFNOR Certification.
• Charte du Nettoyage Durable 2020+ Voluntary sustainability charter requiring member companies to adopt environmentally responsible practices across the product lifecycle, verified by independent third-party audits and recognized by ADEME.
• PSHIT PSHIT Educational Video Series Series of 9 animated 30-second educational videos helping consumers understand cleaning product labels including composition, allergens, safe usage, dosage, and expiration dates.
• Congrès Détergence (Annual Sector Congress) Annual congress on detergents regulation and environment organized for hygiene and cleaning product manufacturers, regulators, and industry stakeholders.
• Congrès Biocides (Annual Biocides Congress) Annual congress on biocides regulation and practical issues for the hygiene and cleaning products sector, attracting hundreds of regulatory and industry participants.
• Member Extranet Platform Secure online platform providing FHER member companies with access to technical resources, working groups, event registration, regulatory updates, and member services.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduction of 40% in CO2 emissions per ton of production by Charte signatory companies
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 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

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Citeo Soin & HygièneminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2025Citeo Soin & Hygiène is the eco-organization managing the new REP TSUU (Responsabilité Élargie du Producteur) for single-use wipes. Companies must subscribe to Citeo Soin & Hygiène to comply with the new regulations effective July 1, 2025.
• AISE (International Association for Soaps, Detergents and Maintenance Products)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFHER is the French national representative of AISE, the European industry association for soaps, detergents, and maintenance products. This partnership enables FHER to participate in European regulatory discussions, share best practices across 29 national associations, and coordinate pan-European initiatives such as the Charte du Nettoyage Durable, Keep Caps From Kids campaign, and the 'Hands Up for Ethanol' campaign.
• AFNOR CertificationcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAFNOR Certification serves as the independent third-party evaluator for the Label RSE 'Proprement Engagés'. They conduct on-site evaluations of companies seeking certification and provide certification decisions based on assessment by a labeling committee with 3 colleges (professionals, stakeholders, experts).
• France Stratégie (National Platform for RSE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFHER's Label RSE was selected by France Stratégie's National Platform for RSE to participate in an 18-month experimentation program for sector-specific RSE labels adapted to TPE, PME, and ETI companies. FHER is one of 12 federations selected for this program.
• Agence du Don en Nature (ADN)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerADN is one of two major platforms in France for managing donations of non-food products. FHER collaborates with ADN on the Guide du don des invendus to help member companies donate unsold products. ADN distributes donated products to associations helping people in precarious situations.
• Dons SolidairesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDons Solidaires is a major platform for managing donations of non-food products in France, collaborating with FHER on guidelines for donating unsold products. Together with Agence du Don en Nature, they distributed over 3.8 million cleaning products worth more than 12 million euros annually to over 500 associations.
• ADIVALORminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerADIVALOR is a French system for recycling agricultural packaging and plastics. Since 2010, it has included empty hygiene product containers from dairy farming. 330 manufacturers and importers contribute financing for collection and recycling programs. Nearly 90% of collected packaging is recycled.
• CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFHER funds research with CNRS on biofilm formation, conducted at the chemical engineering laboratory of Paul Sabatier University in Toulouse. This research supports innovation in cleaning and hygiene products.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• FEBEA (Fédération des Entreprises de la Beauté): French professional federation representing cosmetics and personal care product manufacturers. Operates an analogous association loi 1884 model with regulatory advocacy, sustainability labeling, and consumer education for an adjacent hygiene-adjacent sector.
• FIPEC (Fédération des Industries des Peintures, Encres, Couleurs, Colles et Adhésifs): French professional federation for paint, ink, color, glue and adhesive manufacturers. Direct comparable peer in structure, regulatory environment (REACH/CLP), and member services for a chemistry-adjacent French industry.
• UIC (Union des Industries Chimiques): French chemical industry federation, the parent body representing broader chemicals including cleaning products. Overlapping membership and regulatory agenda (REACH, CLP, biocides) make it a direct comparator and partially overlapping peer.

Broad incumbents

• Cosmetics Europe: European personal care association, equivalent to AISE for the cosmetics sector. Operates pan-European regulatory advocacy, sustainability programs, and consumer communication analogous to FHER's role at the French level.
• AISE (International Association for Soaps, Detergents and Maintenance Products): European-level parent federation of which FHER is the French national member. Operates the same trade association model for soaps, detergents and maintenance products across 29 national associations; directly comparable in mandate, structure, and service offerings (Charte du Nettoyage Durable, Keep Caps From Kids).
• MEDEF (Mouvement des Entreprises de France): Main French employers' federation, the broadest cross-industry business association in France. Comparable as a federation model but operates across all sectors rather than the specific hygiene/cleaning niche FHER represents.
• AFEP (Association Française des Entreprises Privées): Largest French private-company federation representing major French groups. Operates the same association loi 1884 model with regulatory advocacy, sustainability positioning, and high-level member services, though at a broader economic-policy level.

Others

• Citeo: French eco-organization managing EPR for packaging and now single-use wipes (Citeo Soin & Hygiène). Strategic partner and partial substitute for FHER's role in coordinating member compliance with French EPR/AGEC regulation.
• ADIVALOR: French eco-organization for agricultural packaging recycling, including empty hygiene product containers from dairy farming since 2010. Adjacent ecosystem participant with overlapping member companies in the FHER network.

Regional players

• Industrieverband Körperpflege- und Waschmittel (IKW): German trade association for personal care and detergent products, AISE member with mandate and structure mirroring FHER's. Direct regional peer covering the largest European market for hygiene and cleaning products.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/fher
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fherfrance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about FHER