The furniture elements sector (DEA), governed by the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme, imposes strict obligations on waste collection and recovery for any company placing furniture on the French market. This regulatory framework, operational since 2013, has profoundly transformed the sector. Eco-contribution scales, adjusted according to the environmental characteristics of products, combined with a dense network of collection points, now constitute the two pillars of a system that has reduced the landfill rate of furniture from 55% to less than 3%.
A furniture sector generating an extraordinary deposit
Professionals required to declare their furniture elements
Among the twenty or so existing EPR schemes at the time of writing, the DEA scheme concerns companies selling furniture on the French market, whether intended for households or professionals. Manufacturers producing tables, chairs, wardrobes, or sofas, importers introducing these products from abroad, and distributors marketing under their own brand fall within the scope.
The EPR scope covers twelve distinct categories ranging from seating to bedding, including garden furniture and storage elements. Since July 2022, textile decoration elements have also joined this scheme, thereby expanding the obligations of producers. Furniture sector professionals now inevitably incorporate this regulatory constraint throughout their value chain, from design to commercialization.
The annual declaration and the choice between three eco-organizations
Three eco-organizations approved for the period 2024-2029 offer their services to market players.
- Ecomaison, formerly Eco-mobilier, is the first and by far the largest, with approximately 1.2 million tons collected annually.
- Valdelia focuses mainly on professional furniture with 68,000 tons collected in 2023.
- Valobat, a new entrant approved in December 2023, completes the offer by proposing a transversal approach that consolidates obligations across several EPR schemes.
The coordinating body OCABJ, approved until December 31, 2029, ensures coherence between the three structures and offers a one-stop service for local authorities. This coordination simplifies procedures for multi-scheme producers who can centralize their memberships through a common interface.
The annual declaration of the DEA EPR scheme details the volumes placed on the market by distinguishing product categories, each bearing a specific eco-contribution calculated per unit or weight depending on the families.
The furniture sector’s eco-contribution calculation system
The 2026 scales and environmental modulations
The new scales effective from January 1, 2026, meet a triple requirement:
- achieve a regulatory collection target of 48% of market placements;
- fund the expansion of the collection point network;
- massively develop reuse and repair activities.
These constraints impact financial contributions, which see targeted adjustments on certain product families.
Valdelia maintains an eco-contribution below 2% of the sale price for the vast majority of products, and the organization introduces specific scales for metal roller cabinets, school seats, bed bases, or acoustic booths. As for Ecomaison, it structures its rates according to a circularity incentive logic with modulations that consider the incorporation of recycled materials and the use of materials from sustainable resource management.
Bonuses for incorporating recycled materials
Contributions have been modulated since July 2024 based on achieving thresholds for incorporating recycled raw materials. A manufacturer incorporating at least 30% recycled wood in its furniture benefits from a reduction in its unit contribution. These financial bonuses aim to stimulate the integration of recycled plastic, secondary fusion metals, or regenerated textiles in manufacturing processes.
The structure of article codes remains unchanged to facilitate the transition, with financial support directly integrated into the product code or via a separate bonus. Code generators provided by eco-organizations allow members to precisely calculate their contributions based on the environmental characteristics of each reference.
DEA Scheme: Collection organization and priority to reuse
The network of collection points and the 1 for 1 obligation
The recovery of furniture waste is organized through a dense territorial network combining public waste collection centers, distributors, and social and solidarity economy actors. Distributors with sales areas exceeding certain thresholds bear a free take-back obligation according to the 1 for 1 principle. A consumer purchasing a new sofa can have their old sofa taken back for free, whether in-store or upon delivery of the new furniture.
After years of mixed collection in a single bin, eco-organizations are gradually deploying separate collection by materials. Metal furniture now joins a dedicated bin managed by local authorities. Wooden furniture is included in a multi-EPR bin that groups wood from several schemes (furniture, construction). Note that other furniture components (foams, textiles, plastics) are collected in a third bin to optimize their recovery.
Priority given to reuse and repair
Still functional furniture represents a priority deposit for eco-organizations that are massively developing partnerships with resource centers, recycling centers, and integration structures. These social and solidarity economy actors recover furniture in good condition, possibly refurbish it, and sell it at solidarity prices, an approach that ensures the extension of lifespan before any material transformation.
A repair fund annually financed by eco-organizations supports certified repairers who refurbish defective furniture, with annual target objectives for increasing the number of repairs to support this dynamic. Since the creation of the scheme, the landfill rate has dropped from 55% in 2013 to less than 3% currently, illustrating the progress made in recovery. Non-repairable furniture follows a dismantling process allowing the separation of wood, metals, textiles, and foams to maximize their recycling into new raw materials.
