Manufacturers assume product responsibility for take-back and disposal.
The aim is to avoid waste from electrical and electronic equipment in order to protect the environment or to reduce it through reuse and recycling. The law aims to extend the responsibility of producers for their EEE put on the market to the entire product life cycle of their equipment. It obliges producers, distributors or importers to contribute to the disposal costs of their equipment. Companies must take back and recycle their electrical equipment put on the market according to certain ecological standards.
The magical 65: Germany has set itself the goal of increasing the collection rate of electronic products to 65 per cent in 2019. In 2016, 43.1 per cent of the 45 per cent target was achieved.
What there is to know about the ElektroG
The ElektroG requires manufacturers to…
- …register electronic products and apply for a WEEE number before market launch.
- …provide an insolvency-proof guarantee.
- …report the numbers sold at regular intervals.
- …ensure that the products are disposed of in an environmentally compatible way.
- …indicate their registration number on the products.
- …fulfil their obligation to label products and inform private households.
The ElektroG defines a manufacturer as any natural or legal person who has offices in the respective member state and…
- …manufactures electrical or electronic equipment in their own name/as their own brand.
- …commissions the manufacture of electrical or electronic equipment in their own name/as their own brand.
- …resells electrical or electronic equipment made by other manufacturers in their own name/as their own brand.
- …brings electrical or electronic equipment to the market from abroad (importer).
- …sells electrical or electronic equipment directly to users with the help of telecommunications technologies and is based in a different member state or outside the EU.
Do you need support in fulfilling your obligations? Feel free to contact us!
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2022 – Amendment | ElektroG3
The German ElektroG is currently being amended and a new version is expected to come into force in 2022.
2018 – Open Scope
15 August 2018: Transition to so-called "Open Scope", using 6 categories. This means that more electronic devices fall under the ElektroG.
2016/17 – Transition period
1 July 2017: Changes in the retail take-back obligation:
- Fines of up to 100,000 € for failure to meet retail take-back obligation
- Specification of number of electrical devices that sellers and manufacturers must take back from consumers: 5 end-of-use products per type of Equipment
- Fines of up to 10,000 € for companies that are obliged to take back equipment and fail to appoint a Waste Management Officer
24 July 2016: Retail industry obliged to take back equipment and indicate collection points (retail take-back obligation)
24 April 2016: (Re)registration of companies without offices in Germany via authorised representative
1 February 2016: Reassignment of electrical and electronic equipment to collection groups
24 January 2016: Obligation to register lamps and photovoltaic modules
2015 – Amendment | ElektroG 2
24 October 2015: The German ElektroG has been amended.
2005 – Enactment | ElektroG
24 March 2005: The ElektroG has come into force in Germany.
The Open Scope of the ElektroG
The scope of the ElektroG was expanded to a so-called Open Scope, so that the ElektroG now also covers additional electronic Equipment:
- photovoltaic modules as a type of device
- lamps in private households and additional changes in the category of lighting fixtures: overview of new classification of lamps and lighting
- clothing and furniture with electrical function
- from 1 May 2019 "passive devices" (electronic products which simply conduct electricity and signals)
More about the Open Scope | ElektroG 2018
Current status in other EU countries
The Open Scope category is also being introduced in other European countries in line with the WEEE Directive 2012/19/EU. Since implementation varies from one EU country to the next, manufacturers of electrical equipment should find out in good time the current situation in the respective countries in which they operate. For example, several subcategories may be introduced as well as changes in the pricing system. It may also be necessary to register new products.
More Information on this topic you can find in our news:
- Open Scope: New rules for the sale of electronic equipment also apply in other EU countries
- WEEE Directive: Consequences of the Open Scope
- Planned harmonisation of WEEE reporting in Europe by 2020
Additional information and useful links
- ElektroG 2018: Open Scope
- Stiftung EAR
- Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act (ElektroG), revised Version (in German only)
- Regulation on fees under the ElektroG (in German only)
- Overview types of equipment and product categories incl. calculation of the guarantee amount
- WEEE Directive, revised version
- stiftung ear
- Bitkom’s FAQs on the new ElektroG (in German only)
- Bitkom’s FAQ on the obligation of online retailers to take back products (in German only)
- Battery Directive
- Overview of changes: Open Scope
- Free webinar "All about WEEE" (30 minutes)
- For our customers: schedule with deadlines
- For companies that have already registered
- For companies selling B2B-products
- Press release
- For companies seeling e-furniture and e-clothes