WEEE Registration for Waste Electrical &Electronic Equipment

The full English name of WEEE is Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment, which is the EU directive on the recycling of waste electrical and electronic equipment.

The EU issued the weee directive on February 13, 2003. It was officially published in the Official Journal of the European Union in 2012 and entered into force on August 13, 2012. The purpose of this directive is to reduce the production volume of waste electrical and electronic equipment, promote its recycling and reuse, reduce the residual waste electrical and electronic equipment, and improve the environmental efficiency of the entire process from production to disposal. Among all European countries, Germany imposes the strictest environmental protection requirements.

Necessity of Certification

Starting from August 13, 2005, manufacturers of electrical and electronic equipment circulating in the EU market must legally bear the responsibility of paying for the recycling of end-of-life products. Meanwhile, all EU member states are obligated to formulate their own recycling plans for electrical and electronic products and establish relevant supporting recycling facilities, enabling end-users of electrical and electronic products to dispose of waste equipment conveniently and free of charge.

Products Subject to Registration

①　Heat exchangers

②　Display equipment for private households

③　Lamps/fluorescent discharge lamps

④　Large electrical equipment

⑤　Small electrical and electronic equipment

⑥　Small IT and telecommunications equipment

Documents Required for Registration Application

①　Application form

②　Business license

③　Product pictures with logo

Note: No product samples are required for weee registration.

WEEE Registration Process

①　Submit documents

②　Sign the power of attorney

③　Obtain a registration ID with a screenshot from the official German website

④　Wait for 8–12 weeks to receive the WEEE registration number issued after review by EAR. Sellers will get a WEEE registration code that can be verified on the official website of Germany’s EAR.

Labeling Specifications

For electrical and electronic products, registration obligations and labeling obligations are stipulated. All products sold in the European market after August 1, 2005 must comply with these recycling labeling specifications. The label must clearly indicate the manufacturer and the date when the product was imported into Europe.

The solid black line in the figure above must be used together with the trash bin symbol and the crossed-out symbol. No other symbols, text, or information are allowed inside the label. The minimum size of the label shall not be less than 7mm.