IDU — Everything You Need to Know About the Unique Identifier Under the AGEC Act and How to Secure Your EPR Compliance

Since the entry into force of the AGEC Act in February 2020, all producers placing goods on the market subject to Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) must hold a Unique Identifier (IDU) issued by ADEME. Mandatory, individual and strictly regulated, it provides proof that a company is duly registered for each of the EPR streams concerned.

Behind this seemingly simple number lie genuine stakes: legal compliance, transparency with clients, risk of sanctions and administrative complexity.

The IDU is a number issued by ADEME via the SYDEREP platform. It identifies each producer placing goods subject to an EPR stream on the market: packaging, paper, textiles, electrical equipment, batteries, furniture, toys, etc.

A producer may be: a manufacturer, an importer, a distributor, an own-label brand, a marketplace or e-commerce operator. You are considered a producer as soon as you place a product on the French market, even if your registered office is abroad.

Contrary to a common misconception, there is not one single IDU per company. Each EPR stream generates its own identifier.

For example, if you place domestic appliances on the market, you must obtain 3 IDUs: one for household packaging, one for batteries, one for WEEE.

This system ensures precise traceability of each producer’s obligations.

Yes. Under Article R541-173 of the Environmental Code, a company must display its IDU:

• In its general terms and conditions (T&Cs), or any other contractual document transmitted to a professional buyer;
• On its website, where it has one;
• On request from inspection authorities.

Failure to communicate the IDU exposes the company to administrative sanctions and regulatory non-compliance, which may be detected during an audit.

Obtaining the IDU depends on the producer’s registration method:

• You are registered with a PRO (Citeo, Léko, Ecosystem, Refashion…)? The PRO registers you on SYDEREP, generates your IDU and transmits it via the member portal or by email.
• You operate under an individual compliance system? You must declare your placing-on-market volumes yourself on SYDEREP.
• You are a marketplace seller? You must provide your IDU to the platform. Without it, the marketplace may be held legally liable in your place and may refuse to list your products.

The IDU is not merely an administrative number. It represents:

1. Official proof of your EPR registration: without an IDU, you are not considered compliant.
2. A key element of transparency vis-à-vis your partners: your clients, marketplaces, importers and distributors may request your IDU.
3. Protection against sanctions: administrative fines may be applied in the absence of an IDU.
4. An essential prerequisite for certain activities, notably online sales or public/private tenders incorporating environmental criteria.

Many companies encounter difficulties relating to:

• The complexity of identifying the EPR streams applicable to their products
• The obligation to obtain multiple IDUs
• The lack of information from foreign suppliers
• Understanding SYDEREP
• Collecting the technical data required for registration
• The inability to proceed due to a lack of internal expertise

The result: delays in registration, non-compliance risks, time wasted and regulatory stress.

Our role is to support producers at every stage of their EPR compliance, of which obtaining the IDU is an integral part:

• Identification of applicable EPR streams: We analyse your products, packaging and markets to determine precisely which EPR streams apply.
• Support through PRO registration: We assist you in compiling the registration file (suppliers, technical data, product categorisation…).
• Management of the SYDEREP process: We monitor the generation of IDUs and provide you with all identifiers.
• Documentary compliance: We guide you in integrating the IDU into your T&Cs, contractual documents and website.
• Full outsourcing of your EPR declarations: To go further, our experts take charge of producing your declarations, optimising your contributions, verifying data and ensuring long-term compliance.

Obtaining your IDU is mandatory, but it is only the beginning. To be genuinely compliant, a company must: register with the right PROs, correctly declare its placing-on-market volumes and keep up with regulatory changes.

It is also essential for the financial health of the company to pay the correct amount of eco-contributions. It is important that financial teams optimise their multi-stream EPR declarations. The financial consequences can be significant.

RecycleMe supports companies of all sizes every year in securing and simplifying these obligations.