German Waste Recycling System
Mode of operation
Table of Contents -
01
E-waste recycling process in Germany
02
Packaging Waste Recycling Process in Germany
03
Frequently Asked Questions
Germany is one of the more successful countries in the world in terms of waste recycling, and its distinctive "binary recycling system" has been widely promoted in European countries.
In recent years, Germany has not only achieved significant results in the recycling of packaging waste, but also established a highly organized recycling system for waste electrical and electronic products, which has achieved practical results.
Before the green circle has written about "Germany / France sellers note, do not meet the EPR requirements of the product or mandatory suspension of sales" of the EPR article, for the sellers to organize a very practical knowledge points, for quick recognition of the new EPR regulations and the need to pay attention to the key points.
This time, we are going to popularize the operation mode and payment situation of the waste recycling system in Germany.
01
E-waste recycling process in Germany
Producer Responsibility (EPR)
1、Implementation of Electronic Waste Recycling and Treatment System
The recycling of electronic waste in Germany is governed by the Act of 13 August 2005 on the Management of the Sale, Recycling and Hazardous Disposal of Electrical and Electronic Equipment.
The Act was launched and implemented against the backdrop of the EU Directive on the Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment and the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE), the core principle of which is still "producer responsibility" (EPR).
The German Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act makes producers responsible for the entire life cycle of their products, making it clear that producers are responsible for the collection, recycling and disposal of waste products and pay for the costs incurred in the entire process.
Beginning November 24, 2005, manufacturers should provide collection containers for B2C products to public recycling companies.
Since March 2006, manufacturers have been required to take away used electrical appliances from the collection sites of public recycling companies, reuse or remove used electrical appliances and electrical components, and bear the costs incurred.
With the implementation of the Act, Germany has constructed an e-waste recycling system and developed an organized way of operation.
2. Recycling to handling process closely
In Germany, the recycling and disposal system for electrical and electronic products is organized, coordinated and monitored by a third-party non-profit organization under the supervision of the government.
The enforcement system of the German Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act (EEEA) is based on the existing recycling system in Germany, with the addition of a specialized coordination department.
The law involves the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, management centers, public recycling companies, used appliance disposal companies and manufacturers.
In terms of specific operations, the EAR coordinates the entire recycling system, requiring producers to either build their own recycling systems or commission recycling enterprises to recycle and dispose of used and waste electrical and electronic products;
Enterprises commissioned by manufacturers for recycling and treatment must meet the requirements and be formal enterprises with certain qualifications that can guarantee the recycling and treatment of used and waste electrical and electronic equipment in accordance with the requirements of the manufacturers;
Producers submit information about the recycling business they commission when they register with the EAR and report annually to the EAR on the recycling status of the products they sold during the year, which the EAR reviews for compliance.
When electronic and electrical waste is to be recycled or discarded, the municipal authorities will first collect household electronic waste through the public collection system free of charge, and the collection cost will be borne by the municipal authorities.
The e-waste collection system in Germany consists of approximately 4,500 collection points set up by public waste management organizations, 30,000 commercial collection points and 1,000 manufacturer-provided collection points.
The producer's responsibility begins with the municipal authorities, and the EAR is responsible for registering and receiving e-waste from the municipal recycling points, with transportation and disposal costs incurred by the producer/importer on the way.
Note: Manufacturers/importers can build their own recycling system or appoint a transportation/treatment company.
Recycling of WEEE to various recycling points, which in turn notifies the EAR, which notifies the producer or the transportation/processing company commissioned by the producer to collect and process the waste at the recycling points.
3. Four items of fees to be paid by manufacturers
The EAR system fee mechanism adopts an ex post facto charging model.
Collected from the producer or importer, the EAR is responsible for the centralized collection and payment of the e-waste disposal fee. The producer or importer pays the actual incurred e-waste disposal fee based on the existing market share for each type of product.
Under the German EAR system, there are four types of fees derived from the implementation of recycling by producers: registration fees, capital guarantee fees (i.e. insolvency guarantees), transportation fees, and processing fees.
Note: The two largest costs are the e-waste logistics and transportation fee and the treatment fee.
The guarantee system is a favourable safeguard for e-waste treatment.
The manufacturer must provide a financial guarantee for the product at the time of registration in order to ensure that the sold product will continue to be recovered and disposed of after the product is withdrawn from sale in the country.
Financial guarantees are very important for "orphan wastes", which need to be dealt with through a guarantee mechanism that utilizes a bond provided by the producer.
02
Packaging Waste Recycling Process in Germany
Producer Responsibility (EPR)
Vol.1
Background of Binary Recycling System
In order to control and reduce the amount of packaging waste, Germany implemented the Packaging Waste Management Act in 1991, which is the world's first regulation on the reduction and recycling of packaging waste, according to the "resources - products - renewable resources" circular economy. It is based on the "resource-product-renewable resource" circular economy concept.
The bill proposes that the management of packaging waste should be carried out in accordance with the priorities of reduction, reuse, recycling and final disposal, and that targets and time limits for the recovery of different packaging waste should be set.
Specific provisions have been made on the responsibilities and obligations of manufacturers and operators, making it mandatory for manufacturers and sellers to be responsible for the recovery of their product packaging as well as the reuse or recycling of the effective portion thereof.
For the first time, the "polluter pays" principle was introduced in the management of packaging waste, and the "polluter pays" principle was extended to the production and consumption areas, with the introduction of the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system.
The Act regulates sales packaging by obliging manufacturers and distributors, as of January 1, 1993, to recycle and reuse or materialize it after consumption without compensation.
If retailers, manufacturers and packagers and their raw material suppliers were to set up their own recycling systems, they would need to invest a lot of money, and some SMEs would not be able to set up their own recycling systems at all.
In order to implement the decree, Green Dot was founded in 1990 by 95 companies from the retail, consumer goods and packaging industries with the support of the Federation of German Industries (FDI) and the Association of German Industries and Commerce (AHK).
By establishing a "binary recycling system" to help producers and distributors fulfill their recycling obligations, packaging waste discarded by consumers can go directly into a reprocessing system, which improves the efficiency of recycling and reduces the costs of retailers, manufacturers and packagers.
Vol.2
Core Operations, Process Simplification
The "Binary Recycling System" includes producers, distributors, Green Dot, waste recycling companies, waste treatment companies, etc. The core of the whole system is Green Dot, known in English as Duales System Deutschland, or DSD for short.
Green Dot (DSD) is a non-profit organization that helps manufacturers and distributors meet their packaging waste recycling obligations and meet the recycling rate targets required by the Packaging Waste Management Act, a national policy enforcement and coordination body specializing in the collection, sorting and reuse of packaging waste in accordance with the Packaging Ordinance.
Green Dot (DSD) has a consignment relationship with manufacturers and distributors, as well as a consignment agency relationship with waste recyclers and waste utilization companies.
(1) Producers and distributors pay Green Dot to entrust the recycling of packaging waste to Green Dot.
(2) Green Dot selects a waste recycling company that meets the requirements through a bidding process, and the waste utilization company enters into a contract with the company, entrusting the recycling and utilization work to the waste utilization company.
Green Dot connects manufacturers, distributors and recyclers to form a professional public recycling system.
It can be seen that Green Dot does not actually carry out any specific collection, sorting, recycling and utilization activities including waste, but rather performs a coordinating and organizing function in the whole system.
In terms of the specific collection, transportation, sorting, recycling and treatment processes of the "binary recycling system", the first step is the collection process, and different forms of collection are adopted through consultation with the local government, and there are two main forms:
First, consumers will put the packaging waste with the "Green Dot" logo into the yellow trash cans/yellow trash bags, which will be picked up by the recycling company commissioned by Green Dot on a regular basis for free;
The second is: by consumers to take the initiative to print the "Green Dot" logo of waste classification into different colors of garbage cans, collected by the contracted recycling company, and then transported, sorted and sent to recycling factories, and finally sold to manufacturers of packaging products as raw materials for the production of packaging products.
Vol.3
Standardized waste charges, open and transparent
The "Binary Recycling System" is a non-profit, non-government organization that operates on the basis of a license fee for the use of the "Green Dot" logo by the commissioned producers and importers.
Fee collection standard: Determined according to the type, weight or volume of packaging materials, the recycling and treatment fee for packaging waste is clearly labeled.
However, the permit fee is not a flat rate, and Green Dot adjusts it annually based on the actual recycling and disposal costs of the packaging materials.
03
Frequently Asked Questions
Producer Responsibility (EPR)
Q1
Need to register different EPR product categories?
A: Yes, sellers selling products in Germany or France that fall under the EPR product category will need to register according to the different requirements, processes, and authorizing bodies in each country.
Q2
What is the cycle for reporting and paying back receipts from a sale?
A: Depending on the EPR commodity classification or producer responsibility organization (PRO) in each country/region, EPR receipts are reported and paid on a monthly, quarterly or annual basis.
Q3
Do I need to pay for both primary and secondary packaging?
Yes, the first level of packaging is the packaging of the goods themselves, the seller uses Amazon logistics or self-distribution are required to pay for the original packaging; the second level of packaging is the distribution of packaging, specific reference to the "specific information for each country / region".
Write at the end
In order to better protect the local environment, the European Union has developed sound environmental protection regulations to vigorously develop the waste recycling industry.
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