Welcome

The European Directive 2002/96/CE, pertaining to Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), introduces the concept of the PRODUCER-PAYER. Companies which manufacture or import electrical and electronic equipment are confronted with their responsibilities in terms of the processing and recycling of the appliances they commercialize in the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg, once these are no longer in use.

Ecotrel is a non profit-making association, which was created by 43 Luxembourg producers and importers to cover their legal obligations. Ecotrel carries out its mission by managing and funding the processing of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment, deposited at any of the collection sites put in place by State or Local government bodies. In addition, Ecotrel guarantees on behalf of its members, the future recycling of electrical and electronic equipment they currently market.

A recycling fee is added to the price of each appliance sold, to ensure financial support for Ecotrel’s activities.

Do you, as an individual consumer or a professional, have WEEEs you no longer wish to keep?
Do you manufacture, assemble or import electrical or electronic equipment and wish to find out what your rights and obligations are, as far as these are concerned?
Do you professionally deal, distribute or install electrical or electronic equipment and wish to find out more about the recycling fee?

We will do our best to answer all your questions on this site.

Who is Ecotrel?

History

Ecotrel asbl is a non profit making organisation and a private initiative of the Electrical Material Wholesalers’ Group (GME) and of the Luxembourg Confederation of Commerce, in close collaboration with the Chamber of Commerce, the Chamber of Trade and the Skilled Tradesmen’s Federation.

13/02/2003 : Publication of directive 2002/96/CE pertaining to waste electrical and electronic equipment, and directive 2002/95/CE restricting the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment.

19/02/2004 : Creation of Ecotrel by 43 Luxembourg companies, with the aim of meeting the future legal obligations incumbent on producers and importers of EEEs (see statutes).

18/01/2005 : Publication of the Grand-ducal regulation transposing both these European directives. Grand-ducal regulation of 18/01/05

23/12/2005 : Publication of the Grand-ducal regulation of the 23/12/2005 modifying the grand-ducal regulation of the 18/01/2005.

24/07/2006 : Publication of the Grand-ducal regulation of the 24/07/2006 modifying the modified grand-ducal regulation of the 18/01/2005.

17/07/2008 : Publication of the Grand-ducal regulation of the 17/07/2008 modifying the modified grand-ducal regulation of the 18/01/2005.

Mission

Ecotrel is approved by the Ministery for the Sustainable Development and Infrastructures, as a way to ensure that the obligations imposed on producers and importers of EEEs under the modified Grand-ducal regulation of 18/01/05 are met.

Ecotrel manages and supports the collection and processing of WEEEs from selective collection points, in compliance with legal requirements. For the surplus, Ecotrel guarantees the recycling of future scrap from appliances commercialized by its members today.

Founding Members

List of Members

The list of members can be downloaded here

Legal Framework

European Directives

directive 2002/96/CE and directive 2002/95/EC
These directives, pertaining to electrical and electronic equipment and to managing the disposal of their waste, are aimed at encouraging producers to take on their responsibilities, in the broad sense of the term. They have been transposed into Luxembourg law by the modified regulation of 18/01/05.
Grand-ducal regulation of 18/01/2005
Grand-ducal regulation of 23/12/2005
Grand-ducal regulation of 24/07/2006
Grand-ducal regulation of 17/07/2008

Who is concerned ?

• 1. Producers and importers of EEEs.
  Any company which is located outside the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg but sells directly to users in Luxembourg is considered as an importer. This is the case of e-commerce, for instance.
• 2. Distributors, end dealers and installers of EEEs.
  Note: it is possible for one company to be both an importer and distributor. In this case, the company is responsible for meeting the obligations incumbent on both categories.
• 3. State and Local authorities

The obligations

What are their obligations?

• 1. For producers and importers

  Registration obligation
  All Producers and Importers of EEEs are obliged to register with the Ministery for the Sustainable Development and Infrastructures. They are required to declare the EEEs they put on the market in Luxembourg and prove that they meet their obligations, or show that they are a member of a body such as Ecotrel, which fulfils those obligations on its behalf.

  The trade-in bond
  > For Household WEEEs:
  All Producers and Importers of EEEs are obliged to contribute financially to the collection (from a selective collection point), the processing, the recovery and the non pollution-causing destruction of Household WEEEs collected by state and local structures. This financial contribution applies to:
  - Historical waste (sold prior to the 13/08/05).
  - The financial contribution is calculated in proportion to market shares from the 13/08/05.
  - Waste from EEEs sold after the 13/08/05.
  The financial contribution is made at the time of sale of the EEE, and takes the form of an insurance or a deposit paid into a frozen bank account (for individual systems). More simply, the financial contribution can be guaranteed by membership of a collective management system such as Ecotrel.
  > For WEEEs from users other than households:
  The producers and importers are only required to finance processing historical WEEEs if they sell a new, equivalent item. The financial contribution applies to the collection from a professional user's premises and to the processing, the recovery and the non pollution-causing destruction of the WEEEs. If it makes no specific agreement with its client, the Producer or Importer will be obliged to finance the collection and processing of the EEEs it has sold when, at a future date, the EEE becomes scrap and the client no longer wishes to keep it.

  Information obligation
  Before the 31st of March each year, producers and importers must inform the environmental administration body of the number of EEEs they have commercialized in Luxembourg and the number of WEEEs they have collected and processed, as well as the waste recovery rate achieved.
  

  Labeling requirement
  

  
  Manufacturers of electrical and electronic equipment are required to display the symbol of the crossed-out wheeled bin on their products to indicate that they are subject to a separate collection.
• 
  
  
• 2. For end dealers and installers

  Collection obligation
  End dealers and installers must take back free of charge, any WEEEs brought back by their clients, whether professional or individual, when they purchase a new EEE. This obligation is limited, however, to a one-for-one trade-in, and provided the returned equipment is of a similar type and was used to perform similar tasks to the newly purchased item.
  End dealers and installers are allowed to refuse to take back the WEEEs, if there is a lack of available space, for instance. If this is the case, they must inform their clients of the possibilities available for the disposal of the WEEEs.
  
  

• 3. For State and Local authorities

  Collection obligation
  State and Local authorities are obliged to provide citizens with access to structures that will accept WEEEs free of charge. By the 31/12/06, a collection rate of 4kg/year/inhabitant should have been reached for the entire country.
  Environmental agreement l : An environmental agreement governing the rights and obligations of the various players involved in the collection and processing of WEEEs was signed beginning 2006.

Fees

Why is there a recycling fee?

The producers and importers that belong to Ecotrel pay a recycling fee in order to finance Ecotrel's activities. They must charge their clients for this recycling fee. This means that it is not the producers and importers, but the end consumers who must cover the costs involved with processing WEEEs.

The recycling fee is not a tax of any kind, but a participation in the cost of processing WEEEs.

The recycling fee applies to all the equipment commercialized in Luxembourg and mentioned in the official list of EEEs.

When is the recycling fee due?

As a Producer or Importer belonging to Ecotrel, you pay the recycling fee at the time when the EEEs are commercialized, as specified in the VAT code. Commercialization refers to the act by which VAT is payable for the first time in Luxembourg, in other words, when a piece of equipment you have manufactured or imported is purchased.

As a foreign supplier commissioned by one or more Luxembourg importers, you must pay the recycling fee when you export EEEs to Luxembourg.

If you purchase your EEEs from a Luxembourg supplier, the recycling fee is included in the price you pay the supplier.

Information for clients

Ecotrel proposes communication material including a DVD, sticker, poster, folder and display unit which you can order with this form
« Order for communication material »

Amount due in fees

List of EEEs

You are required to pay a recycling fee for all the electrical and electronic equipment you commercialize in Luxembourg, and which is subject to the terms of the trade-in bond.

The equipment that matches this definition can be found in the official list of EEEs.

- 1 Large household appliances
- 2 Small household appliances
- 3 Computing and telecommunications equipment
- 4 Audio-visual devices
- 5 Lighting equipment
- 6 Electrical and electronic tools (except large, fixed industrial tools)
- 7 Toys, leisure and sporting equipment
- 8 Medical devices (except implanted or infected products)
- 9 Surveillance and monitoring equipment
- 10 Automatic vending machines

Collection of WEEE

If a waste disposal centre is available in your local community, you can dispose of your WEEEs there. If it’s not the case, we suggest contacting your local authority.

You can deposit certain WEEEs at the Superdreckskëscht mobile collection points. To see the collection schedules and conditions for collection, visit the site of the Superdreckskëscht.

You can trade your old appliance in at the outlet where you purchase a new appliance, even if the new appliance is delivered to your home.
Note: the trader is only obliged to take back your old appliance if you purchase a new, similar appliance as a trade-in (one-for-one). But, the trader can refuse to take back the WEEE if he has not enough space to stock it.

1 : Large household appliances
2 : Small household appliances
3 : Screens (CRT, Flat, Laptops, Digital Photo Display, Portable DVD player)
4 : Refrigeration appliances, climate control appliances and air dehumidifiers
5 : Plane and compact fluorescent lamps
6 : Oil-containing radiator

Processing of WEEE

How to join

Who can become a member of Ecotrel?

Strictly speaking, only Luxembourg-based producers and importers may subscribe to Ecotrel. Since, from a legal point of view, foreign-based companies which sell directly to users in Luxembourg are the same as Luxembourg importers, they are also allowed to become member of Ecotrel.

Other foreign companies that supply EEEs to Luxembourg importers may also subscribe to Ecotrel on behalf of their clients, if their clients commission them to do so.

Only Luxembourg companies can obtain the status of Active member, which entitles them to participate in the work of Ecotrel's General Assembly. Foreign companies can hold the status of Acceding member.

How to become a member of Ecotrel?

• 1. As a Producer or Importer in Luxembourg, you must first belong to one of the member-federations of the clc or the Fédération des artisans. Given the amount of work these federations have put into the creation of Ecotrel since 2001, membership is retroactive to include the year 2004.

  For more detailed information, you can visit these sites: www.clc.lu or www.fda.lu

• 2. We recommend that you begin by attentively reading the Manual for producers and importers.
• 3. Next, you should download the Accession agreement.
  (This is valid both for Luxembourg and foreign companies)

  You must then:
  - fill in the identification form
  - complete both copies of the Accession agreement on page 1, initial each page and sign in the space provided on page 12.
  - send all the documents (both copies of the Accession agreement plus the identification form) to the following postal address:

  Ecotrel asbl
  26, rue Léon Laval
  L-3372 Leudelange

  Note : if your membership application is urgent, you may fill in and send the identification form electronically. It will be validated as soon as the duly completed and signed Accession agreements are received..

• 4. Ecotrel will sign your copy of the agreement and send it back to you together with your membership number, your user code and the password that will allow you to fill in your declaration electronically.
• 5. The last step is to submit your initial declaration directly via this site or by post, fax or email. To do this correctly, we recommend you to consult either the Manual for producers and importers, or the information provided on this site under the heading "Declaration".

Rectroactive membership of Ecotrel:

You may apply for membership of Ecotrel at any time.

Producers and importers who enter into an Accession agreement with Ecotrel after the date when the system comes into effect are required to:
- make back-payments to cover recycling fees due since the year 2004. These back-payments must be made to a member-federation of the clc or the Fédération des artisans, of which the producer/importer is a member (if the producer/importer is from Luxembourg and was not yet a member of this federation)

- pay the recycling fees due for any EEEs it has placed on the Luxembourg market since the date when the system came into effect.

The Producer or Importer can be exempted from paying the above fees:
- If it presents an individual WEEE managment plan approved by the Ministry for the Sustainable Development and Infrastructure, covering the period prior to its membership application;

- If it is able to prove that all its Luxembourg clients are Active members of Ecotrel (Valid for foreign suppliers).

This rule avoids any discrimination against the producers and importers who made sure they adjusted to the new requirements on time.

Declaration

Why is a declaration necessary?

The amount of the recycling fee depends on the number and the type of EEEs commercialized. It is therefore essential that each Producer and Importer correctly informs Ecotrel of this number.

Who makes the declaration?

All declarations should be submitted by the producer or importer. The importer may however commission one or more foreign suppliers to fulfil its own obligation to declare the EEEs delivered by those suppliers.

For other EEEs, the importer must always submit its own declarations.

When must the declaration be made?

If your annual recycling fee is over or equal to 500 € VAT not included, you are required to fill in a quarterly declaration.

Before the 21st of the month following the end of each quarter (21/04, 21/07,21/10 and 21/01), you must submit a declaration form to Ecotrel, to cover the EEEs you put on the market during the previous quarter.

If your annual recycling fee is under 500 € VAT not included, you are required to fill in an annual declaration.

Before the 28th February each year, you must submit to Ecotrel the declaration form pertaining to the equipment you put on the market during the previous calendar year.

How to make the declaration

You can fill in your declaration form on Ecotrel's website, with the user code and password you received on completing the Accession agreement.

You can also use the declaration form provided with the Accession agreement, or download the form from this site and send it back by post, fax or email to:

ECOTREL asbl
26, rue Léon Laval
L-3372 Leudelange
Fax : (00352) 26.0.98-736

Refund

Intermediary

If you are a commercial intermediary or end dealer and you do not import or manufacture any EEEs, you do not have to subscribe to Ecotrel.

You have paid a recycling fee to your supplier, which had previously paid the fee to its supplier or directly to Ecotrel, if your supplier is the Producer or Importer.

In certain cases, you may qualify for a refund of this recycling fee.

• 1. Exportation

  The term "exportation" refers to the act by which EEEs are physically shipped out of Luxembourg territory, provided that the shipping can in this case be called an intra-Community delivery, or an act of exportation as specified in the VAT code.

  WARNING : cross-border commerce (Business to Consumer) is not considered as exportation.

• 2. Sale with foreign VAT

  This refers to the sale of an EEE to a consumer located abroad. The foreign VAT is payable by the trader, however the sale is not necessarily exempted from VAT in Luxembourg due to exportation.

  This applied to distance selling or a sale including delivery and installation or assembly.

  It should be noted however, that Ecotrel does not refund recycling fees for amounts less than 100 €.
  
  

How to obtain a refund of the recycling fee

• We recommend you to begin by attentively reading the Manual for producers and importers. .

When must a refund declaration be submitted?

You can choose to make quarterly declarations, in which case you must submit your refund form before the 21st of the month following each quarter.

If you choose to make annual declarations, you must submit your refund declaration before the 28th February the following year. This schedule ensures you benefit from the time allowed for reimbursement, as specified in the refund agreement.

You may, however, submit a refund declaration whenever you wish. Your declaration will be dealt with according to the above schedule, at the latest.

Billing

Based on the declaration from producer or importer, Ecotrel calculates the amount due in recycling fee that the producer or importer must pay, less the amount of recycling recycling fee Ecotrel must refund. This amount is billed and payable in cash without discount.