Stiftung Elektro-Altgeräte Register – stiftung ear

The “clearing house for manufacturers”

Stiftung EAR is a public-sector foundation with legal capacity under civil law which was founded in August 2004. The members of the foundation include several manufacturers’ associations (such as ZVEI) as well as many companies in the electronics industry, most of them leaders in their field. It was charged by the Federal Environmental Agency with carrying out the public-law services according to the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act and the Battery Act.

The foundation is financed through the fees by the stiftung ear which it receives from the companies for its services. The schedule of fees is determined by the Federal Ministry of the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU).

We support you with the legal obligation with stiftung ear.

The role played by stiftung ear in the ElektroG

Registration with stiftung ear ensures that manufacturers of electrical equipment fulfil their product responsibility and, in particular, their obligation to recycle and dispose of electrical equipment.

More specifically, stiftung ear is the “clearing house for manufacturers” referred to in the ElektroG and keeps a record of all the electronic equipment placed on the market. The foundation coordinates the provision of containers and the collection of end-of-life devices at municipal collection facilities throughout Germany. Stiftung ear does not perform any operational duties such as taking back, disposing of or recycling end-of-life equipment. The companies themselves are responsible for this.

The role played by stiftung ear in the BattG

Since 1.1.2021, the official registration of battery manufacturers and brands has been running via the stiftung ear portal. In addition, stiftung ear is responsible for checking or approving the take-back systems for manufacturers. Unlike the ElektroG, the disposal of batteries and accumulators is regulated directly between the manufacturer and the take-back system.