Checking Legal Requirements with REA

The Recycling Administration (REA) component supports you in fulfilling the relevant legal regulations in the area of environmental protection, based on the following EU Directives:

EU Directive on packaging and packaging waste (94/62/EC)
EU Directive on batteries and accumulators and waste batteries and accumulators (2006/66/EC)
EU Directive on on waste electrical and electronic equipment (2002/96/EC), also known as WEEE

Alongside European directives, you can also use REA for similar environmental reporting requirements in countries outside Europe. For more information about countries and recycling partners covered by REA, see SAP Note 1157821.

REA helps you to better consider your business requirements by providing extensive functions for data aggregation to analyze costs and support you in minimizing them.

To model legal requirements in the system, numerous configuration options are available in Customizing for REA. Customizing forms the basis for implementing the legal requirements and therefore for working productively with REA.

REA supports you with making the REA-specific settings by providing special system tables and control tables that generally do not require any manual actions. The content of these tables is adjusted regularly with REA Customizing transports during the installation and upgrade of REA. In addition, you can enter data in the system and control tables in the customer-specific namespace.

For more information, see Customizing for Sales and Distribution under Start of the navigation path Billing Next navigation step Recycling Administration Adjustment System and Control Tables End of the navigation path .

The following table provides some examples of how REA can be used to implement legally required declarations to environmental authorities.

Overview of the German and European Laws (Excerpt) Supported by REA

Legal Regulations	Content
Closed Substance Cycle Waste Management Act (EU Directive 94/62) for Raw Material Recycling	According to this European directive, all production and trading companies are required to collect sales or transport packaging from products brought to market and to recycle it outside of the public waste disposal system. The law allows companies to participate in a general collection system. Examples of general collection systems are: Duales System Deutschland AG (DSD) in Germany Altstoff Recycling Austria AG (ARA) in Austria Eco-Emballages (ECE) in France
Ordinance regarding the collection and disposal of used batteries and accumulators (battery ordinance)	This ordinance governs the collection of used batteries from the end consumer.
Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment directive (WEEE directive; EC Directive 2002/96/EC)	This directive requires companies (manufacturers) to collect used equipment from designated municipal collection facilities and to dispose of it. Companies are further required to report to their respective clearinghouse at regular predefined intervals the number of electrical and electronic devices manufactured.

Overview of the Non-European Laws (Excerpt) Supported by REA

Legal Regulations	Content
Canada (specifically for the province of Ontario):
Ontario Municipal Hazardous / Special Waste (MHSW) Program	The Municipal Hazardous or Special Waste program controls the correct disposal of hazardous household waste and other materials that require special handling, such as paint, single-use batteries, and antifreeze, to divert them away from landfill sites, incinerators, and drinking water. Under this program, the companies that manufacture and market these hazardous products are taking stewardship responsibility and sharing in the cost of recovering left-over products or waste for reuse and recycling, and, if necessary, for proper disposal.
Ontario Electronic Stewardship (OES) Program	Ontario Electronic Stewardship (OES) is a not-for-profit organization formed by leading leading retail, information technology, and consumer electronic companies to implement the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Program Plan. The plan requires brand owners, first importers, franchisors, and assemblers to pay fees for electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) supplied to Ontario.
Stewardship Ontario's Blue Box Program	This plan requires brand owners, first importers, and assemblers to pay fees for packaging and printed material introduced into Ontario.
Canada (specifically for the province of British Columbia):
Electronics Product Stewardship Canada's (EPSC) Stewardship Plan	This regulation requires manufacturers, importers, and brand owners of electrical and electronic products introduced into British Columbia to participate in the EPSC Stewardship Plan. These end-of-life products are collected responsibly and their reuse and recycling is supported. The plan includes a requirement for relevant reporting and is funded by the fees paid by the companies.
United States (specifically for the state of California):
Electronic Waste Recycling (Ewaste)	This legislation requires all manufacturers and distributors of electrical and electronic products introduced into California to participate in statutory reporting and regular fee payment. Its aim is to fund collection, processing, and recycling systems.
Packaging reporting (Rigid Plastic Packaging Container)	This packaging legislation requires companies that manufacture, produce, or generate products with plastic packaging (RPPC) that are sold or offered for sale in the state of California report regularly to the authorities. Its aim is to promote collection and recycling systems and minimize the impact on the environment.