stiftung ear: Rapid increase of registrations

stiftung ear has published its annual statistics: Compared to the previous year, stiftung ear registers lower figures for the collection of WEEE.

Last year, just under 0.95 million tonnes of WEEE were collected and reported to stiftung ear. Compared to 2021, this corresponds to a decrease of 120,000 tonnes, or 11.33 per cent.

In other European countries, lower collection volumes were also reported for the years 2022 and 2021. This development is attributed to changed consumer behaviour after the end of the pandemic and the general economic situation.

Quantity of new electrical and electronic equipment on the market is increasing

Whether it's smartphones, laptops or refrigerators - electrical appliances play a crucial role in our everyday lives and bring us comfort. Especially in the area of consumer electronics, household appliances and photovoltaic modules, we see a steady increase in available products. This growth trend will continue in 2022. A total of 3.26 million tonnes of electrical appliances were put on the market in accordance with the ElektroG (input), which means an increase of about 170,000 tonnes compared to the previous year. Compared to 2012, the input even doubled, which corresponds to an increase of 84 %.

The decrease in the amount of WEEE reported to the ear Foundation, despite the simultaneous increase in input, is expected to have a negative impact on the collection rate. The exact collection rate will be announced by the Federal Environment Agency.

Number of registrations has therefore risen rapidly

In addition, the number of producer registrations has risen sharply, informs stiftung ear.

In the course of the first three quarters of this year, about 13,000 new manufacturers registered, which represents a record of more than 53,000 registrations both domestically and abroad.

In 2022, the number of registrations was still at 40,000, and between 2010 and 2020 it increased from 10,000 to 20,000 in total. This means that registrations have doubled again.

This increase is mainly attributed to the due date for due diligence on the part of manufacturers. From 1 July 2023, marketplace operators and fulfilment service providers will have to verify the correct EAR registration of all traders. Failure to comply with this requirement will result in fines of up to €100,000 as well as further administrative sanctions such as blocking on the platforms.

Such an increase also leads to extended processing times of up to 4 months. However, this is mainly due to partly late registrations received just before or even after the inspection obligation came into force.

You can read more about this in the press release on the collection rate and the press release on the increase in registrations of the stiftung ear.

If you have any questions about your registration process, please do not hesitate to contact us.