Who is the COTREP ?

Center of resources and expertise on the recyclability of plastic household packaging in France, COTREP has been supporting the development of more recyclable packaging solutions for 25 years.

An operational technical committee at the heart of the French plastic recycling industry

Established in 2001 by Citeo, Elipso and Valorplast, COTREP – the Technical Committee for the Recycling of Plastic Packaging – supports manufacturers in developing recyclable plastic packaging solutions in France.
The SRP (National Union of Plastics Recyclers) joined the governance in 2020. COTREP thus brings together all the key players in the French value chain to work towards 100 % recyclable plastic packaging:

  • Producers of virgin plastics and additives through Valorplast,
  • Plastic packaging manufacturers through Elipso,
  • Brands and retailers through Citeo,
  • Plastic recyclers through the SRP.

COTREP is also involved at European level through some of its members, who represent its work within standardisation groups to contribute to the circular economy for plastic packaging.

25 years of action towards plastic packaging recyclability in France

COTREP generates knowledge on the recyclability of plastic packaging by drawing on tests carried out on a pilot or industrial scale, as well as on discussions with experts across the value chain. General Notices are drafted to address overarching issues of recyclability, without being specific to any particular packaging product, so that the lessons learnt can benefit as many people as possible. This work leads to the development and dissemination of general recommendations designed to guide the market and ensure the long-term viability of recycling streams. These various resources represent the positions taken by the entire plastic packaging value chain and are freely available on the COTREP website.

 

Who are the members of COTREP?

 

Since 1993, Valorplast has advocated three key strategic priorities aimed at developing the circular economy for plastic packaging:
• Increasing the recycling rate of plastic household packaging through eco-design
• Ensuring that recycled plastic meets high quality standards so that guaranteed outlets with high added value are available for this material
• Devising innovations to help develop future recycling streams
In 2025, Valorplast managed the recycling of 154,425 tonnes of plastic waste, 125,500 tonnes of which were plastic household packaging items. 100% of the latter was recycled either in France (75%), or in neighbouring European countries. Valorplast embodies the buy-up guarantee at national level and is developing the regeneration of plastic waste from waste tips, making it a key circular economy partner for local authorities in France.

 

Elipso is a trade association that seeks to promote the plastic packaging industry. Every day, Elipso:
• Monitors and analyses information to constantly update its network of members on developments in their sector, preparatory work and the implementation of legislative and regulatory changes
• Supports its members through key fundamental shifts, including the ecological transition towards a circular economy
• Contributes to, represents, speaks for and transmits the goals of a unified plastic packaging sector, with all stakeholders in mind: companies, institutions, associations, the media, and other representational organisations.

 

Citeo is a mission-led business set up by companies in the fast-moving consumer goods and retail sectors to reduce the environmental impact of their packaging and paper waste by proposing solutions for waste reduction, reuse, sorting and recycling.
Since Citeo was founded, companies in the fast-moving consumer goods and retail sectors have invested more than €13 billion to develop eco-design, introduce and fund separate collection and create recycling streams, together with their partners – local authorities, industry sectors and operators. In 2025, 69% of household packaging and graphic paper was recycled thanks to the efforts of French people to sort their waste, now the most popular environmental “good deed”.

 

The SRP is the French organisation representing companies that run plastics regeneration units in France. Such facilities are industrial sites used for mechanical recycling, and perform at least two of the following processes: washing, shredding, densification, micronisation, granulation, compounding. Thirty regenerators are currently members, representing fifty post-consumer recycled (PCR*) plastic production sites in France, which is approximately 80% of the country’s capacity.
SRP members are vital links in the chain for developing an effective and low-carbon national circular economy. Within COTREP, they provide operational expertise on the impact of packaging on regeneration lines and its effect on PCR material quality as defined by converters’ specifications.

*PCR plastics are materials/compounds that are ready for use by plastics processors as a full or partial substitute for virgin resins. They are produced by regenerators using waste from a variety of sources, including households and economic activities (farming, construction, service sector and industry). They must meet precise specifications.