Description
Imprim’Vert is a French environmental label for print shops, created in 1998, which nearly 2,000 production sites hold; it checks how they dispose of hazardous waste, store dangerous liquids, replace toxic products and monitor their energy use.
It was created by the Chamber of Trades and Crafts of Loir-et-Cher and the regional chamber of the Centre region, and has been owned and run nationally by Amigraf since the end of 2007. Its partners include CMA France, CCI France, ADEME, the six French water agencies, the Directorate-General for Enterprise and the printing federation UNIIC. About 200 local referents and 20 regional committees award the label, which is valid for one calendar year.
The label has five criteria: hazardous waste must be collected by approved firms at least once a year; dangerous liquids must be stored securely; products classified as carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic for reproduction must be removed or replaced where feasible; staff must be made aware of environmental issues; and energy use must be monitored monthly or quarterly. In the first two years printers fill in an online declaration, and in the third year an on-site audit follows. A directory by region, including overseas France and other European countries, is meant to help customers find a labelled printer. The fee for printers isn’t published.
Strengths
- The criteria are published and concrete, from hazardous-waste collection to removing CMR substances.
- It is backed by public bodies such as ADEME and the water agencies, and a third-year audit is done on site.
- Nearly 2,000 labelled sites make it easy to find one in most regions.
Weaknesses
- It covers waste, chemicals and energy at the print shop, not the paper used, so a labelled printer can still print on virgin-fibre paper.
- In two years out of three the label rests on the printer’s own online declaration.
- When checked, the site showed a “coming soon” pop-up on every page and the directory search returned no results.
Who it is for
Associations, businesses and local authorities in France that order printing and want a printer with basic environmental practices, ideally combined with recycled paper.
Sources
- Imprim’Vert: home, presentation, documentation, printer directory (checked November 2026)