Construction EPR Scheme: Moratorium Today, Overhaul Tomorrow

The French EPR scheme for construction products and materials (PMCB) has reached a turning point. With rising waste volumes, saturated recycling channels, and ongoing debates, a partial moratorium has been introduced. A complete overhaul is now planned for January 2026.

Collection under pressure

Since 2023, the PMCB scheme has expanded with new take-back points and collection systems for construction waste. But the system is now showing its limits:

• Excessive volumes collected, exceeding current treatment capacity.
• Sorting errors multiplying, driving up logistics costs.
• Recycling bottlenecks for certain material categories.

A scheme still in its early years, but already destabilized by the gap between regulatory ambitions and operational constraints.

Temporary restrictions

Since summer 2025, precautionary measures have been rolled out:

• Take-back maintained for construction and renovation sites.
• Suspension of demolition site validation (and major refurbishments where over 50% of the surface is demolished).
• Freeze on new take-back points.
• Adjustments to warehouse take-back services for small volumes.

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A roadmap for 2026

On July 21, 2025, the Minister for Ecological Transition confirmed the creation of a national steering committee, bringing together producers, PROs, waste operators, and construction stakeholders. Its mission: draft a new framework for the PMCB EPR scheme by September 2025, to take effect in January 2026.

Key scenarios under review include:

• Returning to 80% coverage for inert waste management support.
• Ending transport coverage for small volumes.
• Adjusting specific waste streams with limited recycling outlets.

What it means for producers and distributors

For construction material producers, distributors, and importers, this transition requires:

• Close monitoring of upcoming requirements.
• Accurate tracking of declared volumes by material type (inert vs. non-inert).
• The ability to prove compliance instantly if audited.

Uncertainty doesn’t remove the obligation to comply: reporting is still mandatory, and penalties remain.

AlgoREP: instant control over your construction EPR data

AlgoREP gives construction companies and distributors the ability to stay compliant—without complexity:

• Calculate eco-fees per product in seconds, across all PMCB categories.
• Automate declarations with a single click, regardless of volume.
• Track and justify compliance instantly with audit-ready data.
• Stay ahead of 2026 reforms, thanks to automated updates to official fee schedules.

With AlgoREP, you can turn a regulatory overhaul into streamlined management—and safeguard your business against disruptions.