On the basis of Law 2939/2001 entitled, “Packaging and alternative management of packaging and other products – Establishment of the National Organisation for the Alternative Management of Packaging and Other Products (E.O.E.D.S.A.P.) and other provisions.”, it follows that producers of Electrical and Electronic Equipment are obliged to organise Individual Systems or to participate in Collective Systems for the Alternative Management of WEEE relating to their activities, pursuant to article 17.

OBLIGATIONS OF PRODUCERS/DISTRIBUTORS

Each producer is obliged to carry out the following actions:

To organise and finance the alternative management of WEEE from their own products placed on the Greek market. Producers of EEE may choose whether to fulfil this obligation individually, that is, through the approved individual alternative management system, or collectively by joining an approved collective system for the alternative management of WEEE.

To mark the products they place on the Greek market with the special symbol.

To be registered in the EEE Producers Register and to display their register number on all their legitimising and financial documents (company stamp, delivery notes, invoices, etc).

They must additionally request a written certificate from the manufacturer of the EEE in order to ensure that they meet their obligations. In particular, for products imported from countries outside the European Union, in addition to the written certificate from the manufacturer, the products should also be certified on the purchase invoices upon importation.

As regards distributors, they are obliged:

To distribute EEE products whose producers are registered in the producers’ register and integrated into WEEE alternative management systems.

When supplying a new product, to take back from end-users, on a one-for-one basis, free of charge, waste equipment which is of equivalent type and performs the same functions as the equipment supplied.

To offer end-users, in retail shops which have EEE sales areas of 400 m 2 or very close to them, the possibility of free disposal of very small WEEE without any obligation to purchase corresponding EEE and then to hand over the WEEE to lawful WEEE collectors – transporters that cooperate with approved WEEE management systems.

To conclude cooperation agreements with approved WEEE alternative management systems and to take measures to ensure the proper and safe operation of the collection points located within their premises.

To distribute EEE products whose producers are registered in the producers’ register provided for in article 17 and integrated into WEEE alternative management systems.

Every 3 years from the granting of the approval of an Alternative Management System, an inspection is carried out by the competent authority EOAΝ (Hellenic Recycling Organisation) in order to ascertain that the methods of alternative management are applied and the targets are achieved.

In the event of a positive result of the above inspection, a Certificate of Alternative Management (P.E.D) is issued in the name of the system.

RECYCLING CONTRIBUTION

The monetary contribution burdens the liable producer of each product. The amount of the monetary contribution is determined by the Alternative Management Systems and is shown separately on the sales invoices at all stages of the sale of the products, except for invoices addressed to end purchasers, because there the monetary contribution is included in the price of the product and invoiced as a single amount.

EXAMPLE:

The amount of the Recycling Tax on each device depends on its Weight, Type and Volume, obviously with certain criteria as to how much it burdens or how difficult it is to collect for recycling. For example, a processor has a recycling tax of a few cents of €, while a Colour Laser Printer or UPS is burdened with a few or tens of €. The recycling tax contribution is paid by the shops that sell electronic goods. This cost is passed on to the consumer/end purchaser, who pays it as part of the product price. (That is, on the receipt/invoice that the end consumer will receive, the recycling tax is now invoiced as a single amount together with the price of the product. It will not state that, for example, the processor costs 9,92€ and that the recycling tax is 0,08€, but that the processor costs 10€. By contrast, in the shops’ own invoices the price will be shown separately for each item.)

For recycling symbols click here (the original link needs verification)

For recycling symbols click here