ð±Â How is the government facilitating e-waste recycling?
According to the German Ministry of Environment, there were 1.6 million tons of electrical devices in circulation in Germany in 2013 and this rose to more than 3 million tons by 2021. In line with this, the amount of e-waste in Germany is growing considerably. The German federal government therefore wants to make it easier for consumers to return their old electrical appliances. Since the summer of 2022, it has been possible to return old electrical appliances to supermarkets and grocery stores. Under the draft amendment to the German Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act (ElektroG) presented on 2 May 2024, these in-store collection points are to be marked uniformly in the future to make it easier for consumers to find them. Moreover, it will be possible to return disposable e-cigarettes everywhere where they can be purchased, which includes kiosks and petrol stations.
ð±Â Where can electrical appliances be returned?
Since 1 July 2022, supermarkets and grocery stores â that regularly sell electrical appliances and have a sales area of more than 800m2 â have had to take back and dispose of smaller electrical appliances (with an â€25cm edge length) free of charge. This includes â for example â flashlights, shoes with lights, smartphones, and tablets. Stores have only been obligated to take back larger appliances (i.e. anything Ë25cm) when a corresponding new appliance is purchased at the same time. Under the draft amendment to the ElektroG, it would be possible to return even larger devices (with an â€50cm edge length) for free without having to buy a new device.
ð±Â Do consumers know what to do with their e-waste?
Many German consumers fail to realize âthat basically anything that flashes, makes sounds or contains a battery is an electrical deviceâ. Many German consumers are also not aware that they can hand small electrical devices in at larger grocery stores. Therefore, improving education is key and the government plans to take steps to better inform consumers.
ð±Â What safety plans are there?
Going forward, the German Ministry of Environment wants to improve disposal safety and mitigate the fire risks caused by incorrectly disposed or damaged batteries. The draft law sets out that, in the future, old electrical devices collected at recycling centers may only be sorted into collection containers by trained staff â and that consumers may no longer "throw" old devices into containers themselves. There is also a new requirement that batteries from handed-in electrical devices must be removed, where possible, and then disposed of separately. The idea behind this is to reduce the risk of battery damage through mechanical compaction during collection and transport.
ð±Â When will the new measures come into effect?
The German Federal Cabinet approved the draft amendment to the ElektroG on 9 October 2024. Following approval by the German Federal Parliament and Bundesrat, the amended ElektroG is scheduled to come into force on 1 January 2026.
Read more about e-waste recycling in Germany here:
- https://www.zdf.de/nachrichten/politik/deutschland/bundesregierung-rueckgabe-elektrogeraete-100.html