Benefit from the reuse and reuse fund (ESS)

Verified 29 July 2025 - Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

Some structures of the social and solidarity economy (SSE) may benefit from re-use and re-use fund. For this, they must respond to open procedures (e.g. calls for projects) and criteria for receiving funding. Explanations on how these funds work.

Operation of the fund

The companies placing on the market (manufacture, sale, etc.) certain waste-generating products are required to finance “ eco-organisms » : they are subject to extended producer responsibility (EPR).

These eco-organizations use part of their budgets to finance a fund dedicated to re-use and re-use. The purpose of this fund is contribute to the financing of the cost of reuse waste-generating products.

The fund benefits structures of thesocial and solidarity economy (SSE).

The bottom re-uses may for example allow these structures to :

Stock up lower cost of second-hand products
Benefit from funding for their activity
Benefit from the support by the eco-organization the recovery of products which cannot be reused or reused.

Please note

Each call for projects specifies how the structures applying for it will benefit from the fund.

Sectors concerned

A re-use fund is provided for in the following sectors:

Sports and leisure items, including bicycles and non-motorized travel equipment (scooters, skateboards, etc.)
DIY and garden items
Furnishing elements, including upholstered seating or sleeping products and the elements of textile decoration
Electrical and electronic equipment (EEE), whether intended for use by individuals or professionals
Toys
Clothing textiles, shoes or household linen intended for individuals and textile products for the house.

The structures eligible for the fund re-use meets all of the following criteria:

They are structures of thesocial and solidarity economy (SSE)
They are involved in the field of prevention, of re-use and the re-use of one of the product categories for which a fund exists
They respond to conditions and to award criteria of financing set by the eco-body who finances the re-employment fund

Please note

The criteria and conditions for awarding funding are indicated in each call for projects.

Re-use funds are provided for in the following sectors:

Sports and leisure items, including bicycles and non-motorized travel equipment (scooters, skateboards, etc.)
DIY and garden items
Furnishing elements, including upholstered seating or sleeping products and the elements of textile decoration
Electrical and electronic equipment (EEE), whether intended for use by individuals or professionals
Toys
Clothing textiles, shoes or household linen intended for individuals and textile products for the house

Environment Code: Article R541-154
The eco-body shall define the criteria and conditions for the allocation of the fund
Environment Code: Article R541-156
Operation by call for projects

To benefit from the re-use fund, a structure of thesocial and solidarity economy (SSE) shall:

Match the criteria and conditions set by the eco-body, in particular as regards the principle of proximity (maximum distance between the place where the product is deposited and the place where the operations are carried out)
Apply for an open procedure (as a call for projects) carried by a eco-organism which finances a re-employment fund
Sign an agreement with the eco-organism

Funding can be allocated to any structure that performs all these steps and meets the criteria of the open procedure.

The conditions and criteria for the allocation of funding shall be established in a transparent and non-discriminatory.

In order to know the open procedures (calls for projects), the simplest is to contact an eco-organization in charge of the fund re-use of the sector in which the structure has a prevention, re-use or re-use.