What is the difference between WEEE certification and WEEE registration?

WEEE‘s certification and registration have always been a difficult problem for German Amazon sellers, these two main problems are really caused a thousand waves!!
There are always sellers asking me, what exactly is WEEE certification and WEEE registration? What is the difference and the connection? Xiaobian here to do detailed answers to the dear Amazon sellers friends to do a reference.

In 2020, WEEE and VerpackG have been renewed one after another. While popularizing the knowledge of WEEE, this article will gradually extend the relevant points for attention, in order to help sellers and friends.

1. Q: The definition of WEEE?

A: WEEE, Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive (2002 / 96 / EC), fully defines "waste" in Directive 75 / 442 / EEC and changes it in Directive 91 / 156 / EEC.

Scrapping is actually for all categories of products in Annex I of the WEEE directive, even if the product does not reach the end of service life stage.

2. Q: What is the WEEE about?

Answer: on August 13,2005, the eu market circulation of electronic equipment manufacturers must legally bear the responsibility of pay scrap product recycling costs, at the same time the eu member states have an obligation to develop their own electronic and electrical products recycling plan, establish related recycling facilities, make the end user of electronic electrical products can convenient and free processing scrap equipment.

3. Q: electronic and electrical equipment include what?

A: WEEE directive is applicable to the following electronic and electrical products: large household appliances, small household appliances, information technology and remote communication equipment, user equipment, lighting equipment, electrical and electronic tools (except large static industrial tools), toys, leisure and sports equipment, medical equipment (except all implanted and infected products), monitoring and control devices, vending machines.

4. Q: Why register for WEEE? When did WEEE start required?

A: While the rapid development of information technology has brought comfort and convenience to human beings, the waste of related electronic and electrical products is increasing increasingly. In order to properly deal with these large quantities of electronic and electrical waste, maintain, protect and improve the quality of the environment, protect human health and rational and prudent use of natural resources, while recycling precious resources. In 2002, the European Union adopted two directives with a significant impact on the products of electronic and electrical equipment, namely, the WEEE and the ROHS Directive.

In addition to the European Union, countries around the world are actively developing environmental regulations to minimize the content of harmful substances in waste and require manufacturers or suppliers to shoulder relevant responsibilities to reduce the impact on the environment.

Like the VAT, Britain and Germany were the first countries to implement the WEEE directive. All local German electronics manufacturers required registration as early as 2005.

On April 24,2016, the German environmental protection department issued a law specifically for e-commerce, requiring Amazon to have the obligation to notify overseas e-commerce companies sold on the Amazon platform to register recycling electronic devices. Amazon must order the merchants to stop selling before obtaining the WEEE electronic device recycling code.

5. Q: why does AMZ let us provide the EAR number? What does WEEE do to EAR

A: Germany implemented the EU WEEE Directive in 2005 and drew up detailed implementation rules, namely ElektroG.

According to the ElektroG decree issued on 16 March 2005, all electronic products in the EU must be registered for recycling. Local governments set up recycling companies. On the one hand, the recycling companies are responsible for the pollution-free treatment of electronic products. On the other hand, on the premise that the company does not operate the products in the local market (bankruptcy or withdrawal), they will continue to be responsible for the subsequent treatment of the products.

EAR is the official association in Germany responsible for the implementation of electrical law recycling obligations. After signing the recycling contract with the recycling company, the recycling company guarantees the disposal of electronic waste. After the contract is submitted to EAR for review, the EAR issues WEEE-Reg-Nummer.

6. Q: is WEEE the equipment manufacturer? Why do cross-border sellers offer it?

A: The manufacturers of electronic and electrical equipment in the European Union are the direct responsible persons, but the purchasers and sellers in the circulation process are also subject to this decree.

This question is reversed? What will be the impact if the equipment manufacturer does not provide it?

Let‘s take a look at the common product certification, each region and country requirements are different, the following, usually for the product category.

For equipment manufacturers, the products are sold to many regions and countries, so they will do general certification, including RoHS issued in the same year as WEEE.

But WEEE with other product certification is that the responsible party need to sign a contract with the recycling company (by recycling company to handle waste electronic products), although the eu issued a unified WEEE directive, but the specific rules for the implementation is not the same, so equipment manufacturers are unlikely to be all the eu countries registered, thus need buyers and sellers targeted registration recycling.

7. Q: the consequences of not registering WEEE?

A: The serious consequences of not recycling and registering electronic equipment are as follows:

1. listing of products are removed by the sales platform, sales are damaged, and products are overstocked;

2. Being hacked by competitors may seriously go through legal channels and be punished and destroyed;

3. Repeated warnings had no effect, which was checked by various countries and closed by AMZ.

8. Q: What about the registration process and cycle of WEEE?

A: Cross-border sellers need to provide sales store information on German product category brand and sales information to the service provider. The service provider will coordinate the recycling company to sign the contract, and then submit it to EAR for review. It usually takes 3-6 months to pass the review and remove the number.

9. Answer: 1. WEEE calculates expenses according to the natural annual accounting, so it should prepare for the registration or renewal of the next year at the end of the year.

2. WEEE in Germany is currently a project with more random checks, and the management agencies will usually require the sales platform to ban the sale of products, unless malicious, the possibility of closing the store is not too big.

3. It is not recommended to replace the recycling company or the guarantor in the middle. EAR does not advocate frequent changes, and higher official fees will be charged, and the modification cycle will be long.

4. Because some companies do not understand the requirements of WEEE, they find testing companies to conduct WEEE certification for specific products, which is different from European countries requiring cross-border sellers to register WEEE.

10. Q: WEEE certification and WEEE registration is not the same?

A: Different ones. WEEE certification is generally done by factories, which is to test whether the recovery rate of a product meets the requirements. The WEEE certification can mark the trash can on the product. WEEE registration is that as long as the product is sold in Germany, WEEE registration, Amazon do not do WEEE registered stores will be removed Listing! So Amazon sellers must do WEEE registration.

Note: here is a warm reminder: all electronic products should be registered with WEEE, WEEE certification can be done or not, but as long as electronic products are sold to Germany, WEEE registration must be done.

10. Q: you stick "trash can identify" is the WEEE certification?

Then don‘t do WEEE certification, only can do WEEE registered post "trash can identify"?

A: WEEE certification and WEEE registration do not also can stick "trash can identify".

That is to say, certification and registration do not can stick a logo, but the WEEE certified regardless of post id not want to do, as long as you are selling to Germany electronic electronic products.

Because amazon‘s scrutiny of WEEE registration code!

11. Q: I am a factory, is the factory after the WEEE certification, dealers can do WEEE registration, right?

A: No. Factory do not do WEEE certification, guests (dealers) can also do WEEE registration. Certification and registration are two aspects and do not conflict.

12. Q: I am a factory, the factory can not do certification, dealers can register directly?

A: This depends on the communication and needs of the factory and the dealers. If the dealer does not require the factory to provide WEEE certification, the factory does not have to do it, and if the dealer needs the factory to provide the certification, it needs to do it.

Deeplight, with a group of strong technical experts and research team, always keep abreast of the latest developments and technical requirements of certification at home and abroad, and can design the most optimized certification scheme for your products. The above is the introduction of deep light standard for German WEEE certification and German WEEE registration, if you have this need, please feel free to contact us for advice!