E-waste Management in Germany 20 July 2011 2 3 Author Otmar Deubzer United Nations University Institute for Sustainability and Peace (UNU-ISP) Operating Unit SCYCLE UN Campus Bonn - Langer Eugen Hermann-Ehlers-Str. 10 D-53113 Bonn Germany E-Mail: [email protected] Tel.: +49-30-417 258 33 Fax: +49-228-815-0299 Website: www.unu.edu United Nations University (UNU) is an autonomous organ of the UN General Assembly dedicated to generating and transferring knowledge and strengthening capacities relevant to global issues of human security, development, and welfare. The University operates through a worldwide network of research and training centres and programmes, coordinated by UNU Centre in Tokyo. Disclaimer The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the United Nations University concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Moreover, the views expressed do not necessarily represent the decision or the stated policy of the United Nations University, nor does citing of trade names or commercial processes constitute endorsement. 4 Acknowledgements The author would like to thank the following persons for their support with information and critical advice: Mr. Jan Bellenberg, Bosch-Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH, Germany Mrs. Heike Buschhorn and Mrs. Gabriele Markmann-Werner, Niedersächsisches Ministerium für Umwelt und Klimaschutz, Hannover, Germany Mrs. Perrine Chancerel, TU Berlin, Berlin, Germany Mr. Mathias Dammer, Stiftung Elektro-Altgeräteregister, Nürnberg, Germany Mr. Arturo Gavilan Garcia, Mrs. Frineé Kathia Cano Robles, and Mr. Victor Alcantara Concepcion, Instituto Nacional de Ecología, Mexico Mrs. Silke Hossenfelder and Mr. Franz Heistermann, Bundeskartellamt, Bonn, Germany Mrs. Kristine Koch and Mr. Joachim Wuttke, Umweltbundesamt, Dessau, Germany Mr. Kai Kramer, Elektrocycling GmbH, Goslar, Germany Mr. Ruediger Kuehr, United Nations University, Bonn, Germany Mr. Pascal Leroy, WEEE Forum, Brussels, Belgium Mr. Sören Rüd, Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, Mexico City, Mexico Mr. Christoph Werth-Kreienberg, NOEX AG, Germany 5 List of Contents List of Contents......................................................................................................................... 5 List of Figures ........................................................................................................................... 7 List of Tables ............................................................................................................................ 8 List of Definitions ...................................................................................................................... 9 List of Abbreviations ............................................................................................................... 12 1 Executive Summary ........................................................................................ 13 2 Background on Waste Management in Germany ........................................... 15 2.1 Political and Administrative Competences and Responsibilities for Waste Management in Germany ................................................................................................................................ 16 2.2 Management of Wastes from Private Households ........................................................ 18 2.3 Milestones of Waste and e-Waste Management in Germany ........................................ 21 2.3.1 Waste Management before 1972 ................................................................................................... 21 2.3.2 The 1972 and 1986 Waste Management Acts ................................................................................ 22 2.3.3 Waste Management in East Germany until 1990 ........................................................................... 23 2.3.4 The Discovery of the Ozone Hole and First E-waste Management Activities ................................. 24 2.3.5 The 1994 Substance Cycle and Waste Management Act ................................................................ 25 2.3.6 The European WEEE Directive and the German “ElektroG” ........................................................... 27 2.3.7 Recast of the WEEE-Directive .......................................................................................................... 33 3 E-waste Management in Germany According to the ElektroG ......................... 35 3.1 Key Players and their Roles .......................................................................................... 35 3.1.1 The Public Waste Management Authorities ................................................................................... 35 3.1.2 Producers ........................................................................................................................................ 38 3.1.3 Distributors and Consumers ............................................................................................................ 44 3.1.4 The Clearing House ......................................................................................................................... 45 3.2 Coordination and Interaction of the Key Players ........................................................... 46 3.2.1 Interaction of Producers and the Clearing House ........................................................................... 46 3.2.2 Interaction of Public Waste Management Authorities, Clearing House and Producers ................. 50 4 The German E-waste Management System in Practice ................................... 52 4.1 Collection and Treatment Performance ........................................................................ 52 4.1.1 Amounts of E-Waste Put on the Market, Collected and Treated in Germany ................................ 52 4.1.2 Achievement of the Collection and Treatment Targets .................................................................. 56 4.1.3 Quality of Collection ........................................................................................................................ 60 4.1.4 Quality of Treatment ....................................................................................................................... 62 4.2 Producer Takeback Schemes Operating in Germany ..................................................... 63 4.2.1 Individual Non-selective Takeback Schemes ................................................................................... 63 4.2.2 Collective and Individual Brand-Selective Takeback Schemes ........................................................ 64 4.2.3 Cost of Logistics and Treatment ...................................................................................................... 66 4.3 Achievement of the German Transposition Priorities .................................................... 67 6 4.4 Transboundary Shipments of E-Waste out of the EU ..................................................... 68 4.5 Measures and Incentives for Improvements ................................................................. 70 4.5.1 Increased and Better Quality Collection ......................................................................................... 70 4.5.2 High Quality Treatment of E-waste ................................................................................................. 72 5 Technical, Economical and Ecological Principles of E-waste Treatment ........... 74 5.1 Basic Objectives of E-waste Treatment ......................................................................... 74 5.1.1 Pollution Prevention........................................................................................................................ 74 5.1.2 Recycling.......................................................................................................................................... 75 5.2 Treatment of E-waste .................................................................................................. 76 5.2.1 Overview on the Treatment ............................................................................................................ 76 5.2.2 Treatment of the Fractions from Pre-processing ............................................................................ 79 5.2.3 Performance of Pre-processing ....................................................................................................... 81 5.2.4 Economical and Ecological Implications of Recycling ...................................................................... 83 6 References ..................................................................................................... 86 Annex E-waste related Contacts ..................................................................... 92 7 List of Figures Figure 1: Outline of Germany’s administrative and political structure .......................16 Figure 2: Logo of the “VEB Kombinat Rohstofferfassung” SERO in the GDR ...........23 Figure 3: E-waste management in Germany until 2006 ............................................27 Figure 4: Financial incentives driving Design for EoL in producer responsibility ........29 Figure 5: Symbol for the marking of electrical and electronic equipment according to (WEEE Directive 2003) .............................................................................................31