Collection rate for waste electrical equipment: Germany is not recycled well

In the case of electrical scrap has failed in Germany in the year 2018, the collection target of the European Union by 45 percent, though only just: Like the Fe

Collection rate for waste electrical equipment: Germany is not recycled well

In the case of electrical scrap has failed in Germany in the year 2018, the collection target of the European Union by 45 percent, though only just: Like the Federal environment Agency (UBA) on Monday announced that correspond to the collected 853.000 tonnes of WEEE in a ratio of 43.1 percent. For 2019, a rate of 65 per cent applies. To achieve this, the UBA is a significant simplification of the return for consumers is necessary.

"If we want to comply with the requirements of the EU in the future, you need to increase the amount collected to 2018 by more than 50 percent", explained UBA President Dirk Messner. Need more collection be and collection points than it is today, but also an expansion of the repurchase obligation to additional stores in the retail sector. The problem with electronic waste is that in the case of a wrong disposal of valuable raw materials is lost. In addition, heavy metals can enter the environment. In the case of WEEE containing lithium-containing batteries, there is also the danger of fires.

Very high collection rates over 75 percent, according to the UBA, even now, in the case of small domestic appliances such as hair dryers or toasters and consumer electronics such as digital cameras or Radios. The specific amount collected per inhabitant has grown in the past few years, therefore, continuously. It 2015 of 7.6 kilograms, were 2018 already gained 9.3 kg per head and year.

gap between the marketed household appliances

in Total, were brought in Germany 2018 2,375 million tonnes of electrical equipment in transport, in comparison to the previous year this is an increase of about 15 percent, or approximately 294.000 tons of attention and collected. The collection and recycling of used electrical equipment increased, however, the Federal environment Agency, according to to 2017 just to 16.217 tons. The European target to 2018 provides that 45 percent of the mass of devices that have been brought in the previous three years, on average, on the market, is collected.

the collection rate was not achieved with 43.1 percent short, according to the UBA, a number of reasons: In the case of washing machines, refrigerators and other large household appliances, the gap between the marketed devices, and the collected waste is therefore particularly large in part because an "unknown quantity" to waste on non-certified scrap yards and illegal collectors will be captured and thus in the proper collection volumes missing.

in Addition, would always be disposed of before the smaller equipment in the wrong in the domestic waste, said the Federal environment Agency. The authority pointed to the consumer that discarded waste electrical and electronic equipment free of charge at municipal collection points – for example, on the value of fuel stations. Also available in the stationary retail and mail order, consumers can give old electrical appliances free of charge, for those dealers back, the electrical appliances on a sales floor or warehouse, and shipping area of at least 400 square meters sell. This relates in particular to larger electrical retailers and DIY stores.

Date Of Update: 13 July 2020, 10:19