Duty of Care and Returns
How Retailers Comply with KrWG
The Circular Economy Act prohibits the destruction of functional returns. elvinci in Nuremberg offers compliant disposal with complete documentation.
What duty of care means for
retailers and manufacturers
elvinci.de GmbH is a professional returns processor for electrical and household appliances based in Nuremberg, Germany. The duty of care under the Circular Economy Act (§ 23 KrWG) obliges retailers and manufacturers in Germany to avoid the destruction of functional returns and document their whereabouts. Returns processors such as elvinci.de in Nuremberg offer compliant disposal with complete documentation — every unit receives an ELVSM serial number and proof of whereabouts for ESG reporting.
Since the introduction of the duty of care in the Circular Economy Act, the destruction of returns is prohibited where reuse is possible. Companies that place goods on the market must ensure that returned products are not destroyed without justification. This particularly affects manufacturers of electrical appliances, household appliances and multimedia products, as well as online retailers with high returns volumes. Logistics service providers that manage returns on behalf of others are also affected.
The duty of care requires not only the avoidance of destruction, but also proof of what happened to each returned unit. Companies must be able to document whether a unit was channelled into the secondary market, repaired or properly recycled. This documentation is increasingly relevant for ESG reports and sustainability disclosures.
For companies that cannot manage these requirements internally, working with a specialist returns processor such as elvinci in Nuremberg offers a practical solution. elvinci handles the entire disposal process and provides the documentation that suppliers need for their compliance obligations. Initial enquiries are accepted by elvinci at [email protected].
Documentation obligations under KrWG
and ESG relevance
What the KrWG requires of companies
The Circular Economy Act requires manufacturers and retailers to document the whereabouts of returned goods. Functional products must not be destroyed if reuse or recycling is possible. This rule applies to all product categories, but particularly affects electrical and household appliances with high return rates.
In practice this means: companies need a disposal partner such as elvinci in Nuremberg, who accepts returned goods, classifies them using the 7-level condition grading and documents the whereabouts of every individual unit. Without this documentation, there is no proof that the duty of care has been met.
Why ESG reports need returns data
ESG returns management is becoming increasingly important for manufacturers and trading companies. Investors, business partners and regulators expect transparency about how companies handle returns and surplus goods. The blanket statement "returns are disposed of" is no longer sufficient.
Concrete figures are required: how many units were channelled into the secondary market? How many were repaired, how many recycled? Disposal reports from elvinci provide exactly this data, broken down by ELVSM serial number and disposal category. These figures strengthen the sustainability section of the ESG report and demonstrate compliance with the duty of care under KrWG.
How elvinci supports compliance
with duty of care
elvinci in Nuremberg offers a documented disposal process that covers the requirements of the KrWG and the expectations of ESG reporting.
What an elvinci
disposal report looks like
The following example illustrates how a typical elvinci disposal report is structured. The figures are fictitious and for illustrative purposes only. In practice, disposal rates vary depending on the product category and condition mix of the goods received.
What this report delivers for suppliers
The elvinci disposal report documents the whereabouts of every unit with ELVSM serial number, grade classification and disposal category. Suppliers can use this report directly in their KrWG documentation and ESG reports. elvinci produces the report as standard and at no cost for every consignment.
The report specifically demonstrates that no functional goods were destroyed and shows the channelling into the secondary market. It thus meets the proof requirements of the duty of care and simultaneously provides reliable figures for sustainability reports. On request, elvinci in Nuremberg also produces individual evaluations by product category or condition distribution.
Frequently asked questions about Duty of Care
Here you will find answers to the most frequently asked questions about duty of care and the Circular Economy Act in the context of returned goods. For more answers, visit our full FAQ section.