Principles

Pursuant to the Electrical Equipment Law (ElektroG) consumers have been able to return their old electrical equipment free of charge since March 2006. The ElektroG, which came into effect in 2005, is the implementation of the European Directive (WEEE) into German law. Collection of such equipment is made by the local communities. The manufacturers are obliged to take back the equipment collected, and to dispose of such equipment, or recycle it.

Who is a manufacturer in terms of the ElektroG?
 
Pursuant to the ElektroG. manufacturers within the scope of this law include those who

• Produce and distribute electrical equipment under a brand name,
• Re-sell equipment of other providers under their brand name or
• Import equipment to Germany and distribute these, or export such equipment to another EU country and pass these on directly to a user,
• Distribute equipment of a non-registered manufacturer.

What are the obligations for manufacturers?
 
Manufacturers are required by law to take back the equipment collected by the local communities, to recycle these pursuant to ecological standards, and to bear he costs for such work. Depending on the respective equipment category, 70 to 80 weight per cent is to be recycled, at least 50 weight per cent is to be re-used or utilized as material.
 
All electrical equipment distributed must be permanently labelled for identification purposes.

The Process
 
The local communities provide collection tanks for electrical equipment which can be filled with the old equipment of end consumers. When these are full, the local community contacts the foundation, Elektro-Altgeräte-Register (EAR) (Register of Old Electrical Equipment), which then issues a collection order to one of the registered manufacturers in accordance with a specific distribution key. The respective collection tank must be collected within four days.
 

The DSD ElektroG Service

We are your ideal partner concerning the fulfilment of obligations pursuant to the ElektroG. We have many years of experience in managing the flow of materials, and can provide cost-efficient and reliable service. Our main objective is to relieve you of work. Nationwide – at every collection location! We guarantee that we only work with reliable and certified partners of the waste disposal industry, and observe all requirements pursuant to the ElektroG.

An overview of our services:

• We advise and support you concerning the return, recycling and disposal of your products, and registration at EAR.
• We provide order-related placement and collection of containers – at every collection location. We also organize the transport of containers from the location of filling to the initial treatment plant.
• We provide initial treatment and recycling of old electrical equipment and fulfil the recycling specifications pursuant to the ElektroG. Materials and harmful substances which can not be recycled are disposed of pursuant to legal specifications.
• We report your volumes collected and recycled to the EAR.
• We draw up volume flow documentation for you.
• We can arrange an insolvency-safe guarantee for the financing of return, recycling and disposal of your B2C equipment.

Do you need an individual offer? Just fill in the questionnaire and send it to us. You can download the questionnaire here:

Questionnaire (PDF)

Contact:

Duales System Deutschland GmbH
Sales Department
Frankfurter Strasse 720-726
D-51145 Cologne

Viktor Nunes (Telephone: +49(0) 22 03/9 37-577)

Fax: +49(0) 22 03/9 37-197
eag@gruener-punkt.de

Bitkom
An insolvency-safe guarantee for the financing of return and disposal of electrical equipment, as required by the ElektroG, can be provided via Bitkom Servicegesellschaft mbH.

www.dihk.de
At the web page of the German Association of Chambers of Commerce and Industry, you can order a brochure about the national implementation of EU electrical equipment waste directives in Europe, under the item ‚Publications/Environment’.

www.perchards.com
Note: Publications by Perchards are not all free of charge.
 
www.stiftung-ear.de
In order to make regulations apply to all manufacturers and to distribute the resultant burden fairly, all manufacturers have register with the foundation, Elektro-Altgeräte-Register (EAR) (Register of Old Electrical Equipment), and register the volume they have distributed.
 
http://ak-bleifrei.izm.fhg.de/servlet/is/444/
Here you will find information concerning identification regulations and a graphical model.