We warmly welcome you to our 5. newsletter 2024! 🌍
With the newsletter, we regularly provide our subscribers with specialized information focusing on EPR-compliance.
If you have any questions, our experts are available for personal consultation.
Today's topics at a glance
New special regulations for single-use plastics
Ban on disposable plastics in the Netherlands
Non-compliance with the EU RoHS Directive - the consequence
Preliminary agreement on EU Packaging Law
EU legislation on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment
We hope you enjoy reading the newsletter and look forward to your feedback! Best regards,
Deutsche Recycling
New special regulations
for single-use plastics
Since the beginning of 2023, companies that market so-called "Single Use Plastics" (SUP) (i.e., single-use plastic products and packaging) are subject to new legal requirements.
These regulations aim to reduce environmental pollution caused by plastic waste and increase recycling rates.
Reporting obligation for single-use plastics:
Companies must now report their quantities of SUP products to the relevant collection and recycling systems once per calendar year, no later than March 15 of the following year. This regulation came into effect for the first time in March 2023 for the reporting year 2022.
Previously, quantity reporting for the year 2022 was free of charge. However, starting from the reporting period of 2023, companies must anticipate uniform surcharges imposed by the collection and recycling systems.
These surcharges, also known as littering charges, are intended to cover the costs of litter clean-ups and sanitation efforts resulting from improper disposal of SUP packaging.
Which products are affected?
The regulations apply to a wide range of products specified in the Packaging Ordinance (VerpackVO) of 2014 under § 21a (1). These include:
Beverage cups
Rigid or flexible food packaging
Beverage containers such as PET beverage bottles, other beverage bottles, and Tetra Paks
Wet wipes
Balloons
Fishing gear
Tobacco products (filter weight)
If you need assistance in complying with the regulations,
our experts are available to guide you through this process and ensure that your company meets the requirements. Click the button below now to submit a free request and receive support.
Since January 2024, a ban on certain single-use plastic products, including microplastics in cosmetics, has been in effect in the Netherlands. These measures aim to reduce plastic consumption and protect the environment.
Background of the ban:
In the Netherlands as well, the consumption of single-use plastics is increasingly regulated, based on the Single-Use Plastics Directive (EU) 2019/904. Since July 2023, customers have been required to pay an additional fee for single-use plastic to-go products. As of January 2024, certain single-use plastic products are no longer available in Dutch stores. The ban also applies to the use of microplastics in cosmetics to improve water quality and protect marine environments.
Affected products include:
Plastic bags
Straws
Single-use plastic cups and containers
Styrofoam products such as cotton swabs, balloon sticks, and stirrers
Styrofoam food packaging
Microplastics in cosmetics
Implementation of the ban in retail and gastronomy:
In supermarkets and similar stores where no consumption takes place on-site, customers can purchase single-use containers but must pay an additional fee. Single-use plastic containers are not allowed for on-site consumption; instead, reusable options must be offered.
Restaurants are not permitted to use single-use plastic containers for on-site consumption and must instead provide reusable dishes or allow customers to bring their own containers. However, single-use containers can be used for takeaway or delivery, provided that customers pay an extra charge.
Since January 2024, single-use plastic is also banned in businesses or institutions, and a switch to reusable dishes or reusable containers is required.
The Netherlands' measures to regulate single-use plastics follow EU directives and aim to reduce plastic consumption and protect the environment.
Talk with an Expert
Do you have questions regarding the single-use plastic regulation in the Netherlands?
Do you need assistance in complying with EU regulations?
We are here to help. Simply get in touch with us via chat, email, contact form, or phone. We will respond to your inquiries within the next 24 hours.
Non-compliance with the EU RoHS Directive - the consequence
Ende 2023 wurden mehr als hundert Produkte aufgrund ihrer Nichtkonformität mit der EU-RoHS-Richtlinie vom europäischen Markt zurückgerufen. Zusätzlich wurden einige Artikel aufgrund ihrer Nichtkonformität mit der EU-POP-Verordnung (Persistent Organic Pollutants) oder der EU-REACH-Verordnung zurückgerufen.
Ziel der RoHS-Richtlinie
Die RoHS-Richtlinie (Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive) ist eine EU-Gesetzgebung, die die Verwendung bestimmter gefährlicher Stoffe in Elektro- und Elektronikgeräten in der Europäischen Union einschränkt. Ihr Ziel ist es, die Umweltauswirkungen von Elektronikprodukten zu minimieren und die mit der Verwendung gefährlicher Stoffe verbundenen Gesundheitsrisiken zu verringern. Die Richtlinie legt Grenzwerte für das Vorhandensein bestimmter Stoffe in elektronischen und elektrischen Produkten fest, darunter Blei, Quecksilber, Kadmium, sechswertiges Chrom, polybromierte Biphenyle (PBB), polybromierte Diphenylether (PBDE) und vier Phthalate (DEHP, BBP, DBP, DIBP).
Welche Produkte sind betroffen?
Die Rückrufe wurden über das EU Safety Gate Portal bekannt gegeben. Die zurückgerufenen Elektro- und Elektronikgeräte umfassen Fernbedienungen, LED-Lampen, LED-Strahler, Taschenlampen, USB-Ladegeräte und -Kabel, Digitaluhren, elektrische Schlüsselfinder, Computermäuse, Kopfhörer und kabellose Kopfhörer. Die häufigsten Verstöße betrafen Bleikonzentrationen, die die zulässigen Grenzwerte um ein Vielfaches überschritten, insbesondere in Lötmitteln, sowie Phthalate wie DEHP oder DBP in Kunststoffen oder Kautschuken.
Hersteller, Importeure und Händler müssen sicherstellen, dass ihre Produkte den RoHS-Vorschriften entsprechen, wenn sie diese auf den europäischen Markt bringen. Die Richtlinie spielt eine entscheidende Rolle bei der Förderung von umweltfreundlichen und sicheren elektronischen Geräten in der Europäischen Union.
Unsere Experten unterstützen Sie gerne dabei, die Einhaltung der RoHS-Anforderungen für Ihre elektrischen oder elektronischen Geräte, zu überprüfen.
The new measures aim to make packaging in the EU safer and more sustainable by making all packaging recyclable, minimizing the presence of harmful substances, reducing unnecessary packaging, promoting the use of recycled material, and improving collection and recycling.
On March 4, 2024, the Parliament and the Council reached a provisional agreement on revised rules for the reduction, reuse, and recycling of packaging.
In this blog article, you will find an overview of the latest agreed-upon measures and bans that must be implemented by the EU countries.
EU legislation on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment
The Council of the European Union adopted EU legislation on waste electrical and electronic equipment on February 6, 2024, covering a variety of products such as computers, refrigerators, and photovoltaic modules.
These changes are a response to a ruling by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in 2022, which indicated that the directive on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) is partially invalid.
What does this mean?
The changes made are intended to remedy this invalidity and provide clarity:
Costs for the management and disposal of PV modules: The new amendments clarify that the costs for the management and disposal of waste from photovoltaic modules placed on the market after August 13, 2012, lie with the manufacturer of the electrical and electronic equipment (EEE). This ensures that manufacturers are responsible for the environmentally sound disposal of their products.
Extended producer responsibility: The extended producer responsibility for EEE products incorporated into the scope of the directive in 2018 should apply to those E-products placed on the market after this date. This means that manufacturers are responsible for the entire lifecycle of their products, including disposal at the end of their useful life.
Review clause: The amendments introduce a review clause, requiring the Commission to assess the need for a revision of the directive by no later than 2026. This allows for regular updates and adjustments to regulations to address new developments and challenges in the field of electrical and electronic waste.
With the vote in the Council, the adoption process is completed. The text amendments will now be signed by the two legislative bodies, published in the Official Journal of the EU, and come into force 20 days later. Member States then have up to 18 months to transpose the amended directive into national law.
Talk with an Expert
Are you a manufacturer or retailer of products in the categories of packaging, textiles, electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), as well as batteries and furniture?
Do you need assistance with authorization?
We are here to help. Simply get in touch with us via chat, email, contact form, or phone. We will respond to your inquiries within the next 24 hours.
To ensure that you continue to receive an informative and appealing newsletter in the future, we look forward to your feedback. Please feel free to send me an email with your comments and suggestions for improvement.
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