Obligation to take back "electronic waste" for online retailers
The new Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act (ElektroG) has recently come into force. This means that online retailers are also obliged to take back old electrical appliances. Online store operators must take back smaller appliances with an edge length of up to 25 cm free of charge and larger appliances when purchasing a new appliance. For online retailers, the take-back obligation only applies if all storage and shipping areas for electrical and electronic equipment together exceed the limit of 400 square meters. Smaller online retailers are therefore exempt from the take-back obligation.
The new regulation is based on a European directive. This directive was implemented a few days faster in Austria than in Germany. In the past few days, some Austrian retailers have reportedly already issued warnings to online stores based in Germany that also offer delivery to Austria due to the lack of implementation of the regulation.
When selling electrical appliances, the product labeling obligations under the ElektroG must still be observed. Missing or incorrect labeling often leads to warnings.
Date: 9. Nov 2015