„Refurbished"
EU 2024/825 (EmpCo), UWG § 5
What does it mean?
'Refurbished' refers to reconditioned products that have been inspected, repaired and cleaned following return in order to bring them back into sale. EU Directive 2024/825 (EmpCo) tightens the requirements for transparency, as the term can be misleading without clear criteria (§ 5 UWG). Traders must disclose the condition of the product (e.g. by means of a grade classification such as A, B, C) and the warranty granted. The standard EN 50614 is intended to define uniform quality standards, but is not yet fully implemented and must be taken into account in labelling. Quantifying the CO₂ saving compared to new manufacture increases credibility and avoids misleading statements.
Typical phrasings
- 'Refurbished laptop – tested, cleaned, with 12 months' warranty'
- 'Refurbished tablet (Grade B) – slight signs of use, fully functional'
- 'Refurbished smartphone – CO₂ saving of 65% compared to new purchase'
What you can write instead
'Refurbished smartphone (Grade A, 2 years' warranty) – saves up to 70% CO₂ compared to new manufacture.'
Required evidence
- EN 50614 (provided fully implemented and certified)
- TÜV-Refurbished-Siegel
- ISO 14021 (environmental labelling)
Rechtsgrundlage (Originalwortlaut)
Anhang I Nr. 4a UCPD (i.d.F. EmpCo) — generische Umweltaussage ohne anerkannte Nachweise
Quelle: Richtlinie (EU) 2024/825 (EmpCo) — verbindlich ist ausschließlich die im Amtsblatt der Europäischen Union veröffentlichte Fassung.
DEDeutsch (amtlich, DE-Fassung Amtsblatt)aufklappenzuklappen
„Treffen einer allgemeinen Umweltaussage, wobei der Gewerbetreibende die anerkannte hervorragende Umweltleistung, auf die sich die Aussage bezieht, nicht nachweisen kann."ENEnglish (Official Journal, EN version)aufklappenzuklappen
„Making a generic environmental claim for which the trader is not able to demonstrate recognised excellent environmental performance relevant to the claim."FRFrançais (Journal officiel, version FR)aufklappenzuklappen
„Présenter une allégation environnementale générique au sujet de laquelle le professionnel n'est pas en mesure de démontrer l'excellente performance environnementale reconnue en rapport avec l'allégation."NLNederlands (Publicatieblad, NL versie)aufklappenzuklappen
„Het maken van een generieke milieuclaim zonder dat de handelaar erkende voortreffelijke milieuprestaties kan aantonen die relevant zijn voor de claim."