E-waste collection in Germany remains below 30% – are stricter rules next?
Germany is still falling far short of its e-waste collection targets. According to preliminary figures from stiftung elektro-altgeräte register, around 960,000 tonnes of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) were collected in 2025, compared with approximately 3.39 million tonnes of new electrical and electronic equipment placed on the market.
The resulting collection rate: just 29.8%.
A long way from the 65% target
Under the WEEE Directive, Member States have generally been required to achieve a minimum annual collection rate of 65% since 2019. Germany has missed this target by a significant margin for several years.
The latest figures are therefore likely to intensify the debate around further regulatory measures.
More changes to the ElektroG ahead?
Germany only recently reformed its Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act (ElektroG). Since 1 July 2026, new labelling and information requirements have applied, alongside additional take-back obligations, including specific rules for e-cigarettes and vapes.
Environmental organisations are calling for a more fundamental reform of the ElektroG and stronger producer responsibility.
At EU level, the European Commission has also completed a comprehensive evaluation of the WEEE Directive. One of its key findings: 24 Member States are currently failing to meet the applicable collection targets.
The Commission also identified differences in interpretation and calculation methods as a challenge. It remains to be seen whether this will lead to changes in the collection targets themselves, the calculation methodology or further obligations for producers and distributors.
Selling electrical and electronic equipment in Germany? Stay compliant.
For producers, distributors and retailers, the message is clear: existing take-back, labelling and information obligations need to be implemented correctly – and further changes should be monitored closely.
As part of our Distributor Obligations Package, we work with you to review the typical obligations applying to retailers.
Upon request, we also prepare country-specific guides providing an overview of labelling and information requirements in the context of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR).
