• What does producer responsibility mean?
• Does producer responsibility apply to our company?
• How can we join a producer organization?
• With which Elker producer community should our company enter into an agreement?
• How do I handle producer responsibility abroad?
• Is it possible to obtain a certificate of producer responsibility?
• How can the company terminate the contract?
What does producer responsibility mean?
Finnish waste legislation based on the EU’s WEEE Directive requires the producer of electrical and electronic equipment to arrange for the reuse and management of waste from products placed on the market and to bear the costs arising there from. Therefore, the recycling of equipment and products subject to producer responsibility is free of charge for consumers.
The easiest way for a company to fulfill these obligations is to join a producer organization, which, on behalf of its member companies, competes for collection point, transport, reuse, reporting and waste management services and concludes contracts with municipalities and companies in the sector. New companies will be notified of the producer organizations to the Pirkanmaa ELY Center.
Does producer responsibility apply to our company?
Producer means a manufacturer of electrical and electronic equipment, a professional importer, a seller who sells equipment under his own brand or an operator established in another Member State of the European Union or a third country and sells electrical and electronic equipment directly to users in Finland at a distance. The parties in the supply and sales chain negotiate with each other which party handles the producer responsibility for the equipment.
Electrical and electronic equipment is any equipment that is powered by electricity, a battery, or solar energy. All lamps, with the exception of incandescent and halogen lamps, are also considered to be electrical and electronic equipment.
How can we become a member of a producer organization?
The company can enter into a producer responsibility agreement by filling in the application form of the producer organization and sending it signed to Elker Ltd. More information on joining and application forms can be found on each producer organisation’s own page:
Which Elker producer organization should our company enter into an agreement with?
The Elker Group has three producer organizations: SELT, ICT Producer Co-operative and FLIP. The company must become a member of the producer organization to which the company’s products belong, or to which most of the products belong.
Large appliances
Small appliances
Lamps
Electrical and electronic tools
Toys, leisure and sports equipment
Healthcare equipment and supplies
Monitoring and control equipment
Vending machines
Information and telecommunications equipment
Consumer electronics and photovoltaic panels.
Lamps
How do I handle producer responsibility abroad?
A Finnish company that sells electrical and electronic equipment directly to an end user in another EU country must appoint an authorized representative for each country of sale. Elker Oy can act as an authorized representative for a foreign company that sells electrical and electronic equipment directly to the end user in Finland. The end user can be a company or an individual who buys the device for their own use and does not, for example, resell the device.
Is it possible to obtain a certificate of producer responsibility?
You can order a certificate in Finnish, Swedish and / or Finnish from Elker Oy as proof that your company’s producer responsibility has been properly handled.
How can a company terminate a contract?
If the company is no longer in producer responsibility in Finland or wants to transfer its membership to another producer organization, the company can terminate its producer responsibility transfer agreement by submitting a termination form to Elker Oy, which can be obtained by e-mail from Elker Oy. The difference shall be granted by the government of the producer organization. Companies that have terminated their membership will be notified to the supervisory authority of the Pirkanmaa ELY Center.