ElektroG - Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act
What is being regulated?
The German Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act (ElektroG) regulates the placing on the market of new electrical and electronic equipment as well as the take-back and proper disposal of old equipment. Since August 15, 2018, the so-called "open" scope of application applies, meaning that the ElektroG now applies to all electrical and electronic equipment unless explicitly excluded in Section 2, Paragraph 2 of the ElektroG (see FAQs on WEEE; link below).
"Notes"). Passive devices and furniture etc. with electrical functions
These are topics covered in the following information from the ear Foundation.
ear Foundation: Passive devices
Electrical and electronic equipment is classified into the following 6 categories:
assigned. Except for categories 5 and 6, they are identical to the
Collection groups for the acceptance and disposal of old devices by the
public waste disposal authorities (see Sections 2 Paragraph 1 and 14)
ElektroG).
heat exchanger
Screens, monitors and devices containing screens with a surface area of more than 100 square centimeters
Lamps
Appliances where at least one of the external dimensions is more than 50 centimeters (large appliances)
Devices where none of the external dimensions exceeds 50 centimeters (small appliances) and
small information and telecommunications technology devices, at
where none of the outer dimensions exceeds 50 centimeters.
Disposal of old appliances
All waste owners, i.e. private households and companies etc., have
Dispose of waste electrical and electronic equipment separately from unsorted municipal waste.
capture.
Only the following actors are authorized to collect old electrical and electronic equipment from private households (§ 12 ElektroG).
Public waste management authorities (Bavaria:
Public bodies responsible for waste disposal, i.e., districts, independent cities
Cities, waste management associations)
Manufacturers (or their authorized representatives, if applicable) and
Distributor (dealer)
as well as the “commissioned third parties” (§ 43 ElektroG) appointed by these actors.
Initial treatment facilities can participate in the take-back program voluntarily.
participate (§ 17a ElektroG), provided the initial treatment facility is for the
is certified for the respective old devices.
Electrical retailers (distributors) are obligated to take back the product if
the shops have a sales area of more than 400 m² and the
Old appliances larger than 25 cm. From July 1, 2022, the
Food retailers (discount stores) dispose of old appliances according to the same principle
(1:1, 0:1) reverse, provided the stores have a total sales area
of more than 800 m². Online retailers must collect (large) waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) of categories 1, 2, and 4 from end customers. Consumer-friendly take-back options must be offered for WEEE of categories 3, 5, and 6. Retailers not obligated to take back WEEE may voluntarily accept it free of charge in accordance with Section 17 Paragraph 3 of the German Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act (ElektroG).
Batteries and accumulators must be checked before or when handing over a
Old devices can be removed by the owner, for example, at recycling centers or retailers, provided this can be done non-destructively using simple methods (e.g., removing the battery). The sorting of old devices, especially those powered by batteries, must be carried out by the relevant public authority.
Waste disposal authorities or under their supervision. The trade, which
The obligation to take back electrical appliances usually leads to...
This also includes devices (batteries/accumulators) and therefore these must also be included.
Take back. Lamps that can be removed without damage must also be removed from the old device before disposal.
"Small" commercial enterprises that dispose of so-called dual-use waste electrical and electronic equipment (see Section 3 No. 5 regarding electrical appliances from private households) in a household-like manner
If you want to dispose of a large quantity (e.g., 5 PCs), you can also dispose of these old devices.
(Free of charge) drop-off at municipal collection points. Further information on typical household quantities can be found on pages 10 and 13 of LAGA publication 31A.
Manufacturers or authorized representatives must develop a take-back concept for B2B devices and submit it to the ear Foundation upon registration (§ 7a). This applies to waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) as defined in § 19 of the German Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act (ElektroG) (so-called B2B devices from users other than private households) .
which were placed on the market after the cut-off date (cf. Section 3 No. 4),
The manufacturer must provide the end user with a reasonable option for returning the old devices and dispose of them. The costs of disposal
The manufacturer or authorized representative bears the risk if the devices were placed on the market after the respective cut-off date, or if the manufacturer and
The purchaser/end user has made a different agreement.
If the end user does not return the old devices to the manufacturer, the
End users are responsible for proper handling and disposal, including covering the costs.
We have used the take-back and disposal of B2B devices as an example for
X-ray equipment (see link under "Further information")
described.
