Häufig gestellte Fragen
Is a standard ERP sufficient for the waste management industry?
A classic standard ERP generally does not cover the core waste-law processes of recycling and disposal companies, because the electronic waste verification procedure (eANV) and scale integration compliant with calibration law are among the industry-specific mandatory functions. Consignment notes for hazardous waste have had to be kept electronically since 1 April 2010 and signed with a qualified electronic signature since 1 February 2011, which generalists without a corresponding add-on can only map via error-prone workarounds. Industry solutions or specialised waste management ERPs bring these functions natively and thereby reduce the customising effort. A robust suitability assessment nevertheless requires a case-by-case analysis by industry-experienced ERP consultants based on the specific waste streams and permit situation.
What does eANV mean and which ERP functions does it require?
eANV stands for the electronic waste verification procedure (elektronisches Abfallnachweisverfahren) and has been mandatory since 1 April 2010 for waste subject to verification, i.e. generally hazardous waste; data exchange with the authorities runs uniformly nationwide via the Central Coordination Office for Waste (ZKS-Abfall). A suitable waste management ERP should directly integrate the creation of disposal verifications and consignment notes, the qualified electronic signature (QES) and the collection of receipts from all parties involved. This eANV functionality should be part of the standard scope and not be delivered as a custom add-on to be programmed individually. The market offers specialised waste management ERP solutions as well as dedicated eANV software; which of these fits in an individual case depends on the specific waste streams, volumes and interfaces and should be checked against solid vendor references.
How is the weighbridge connected to the ERP?
Nearly every waste management yard has a scale whose values a waste management ERP ideally takes over automatically, with gross, tare and net weights flowing directly from the weighbridge into order management. Typical features are vehicle identification via RFID or number plate recognition, selection of the waste code via a touch display at the weighing point, and direct document printing. Since weighing tickets are billing-relevant, the connection to common scale makes must produce documents compliant with calibration law. Manual transfer from a weighing book is considered error-prone and should be replaced by a direct interface.
What changes in 2026 for cross-border waste shipments?
With the EU Waste Shipment Regulation (EU) 2024/1157, electronic data exchange for cross-border waste transports becomes mandatory from 21 May 2026. This affects both shipments subject to notification and the information obligations for so-called green-listed waste, which must then be handled exclusively digitally. The exchange takes place via the central EU system DIWASS (Digital Waste Shipment System) or via interoperable government and software solutions connected to it. Waste management companies operating internationally should check early whether their ERP or supplementary specialist software supports this digital connection.
How does an ERP support the status of a certified waste management company (EfbV)?
Certification as a specialised waste management company (Entsorgungsfachbetrieb) under the German EfbV ordinance requires seamless documentation of operational processes, among other things in the form of an operations logbook. A suitable ERP can support these documentation obligations by recording material flows according to the six-digit waste codes of the German Waste Catalogue Ordinance (AVV), keeping quantity balances per facility and making them available for analysis. Since the reliability of the documentation is the focus of the at least annual review by experts, traceable, multi-client-capable evaluations are a practical advantage. However, the software does not replace the organisational and personnel requirements of the EfbV, for instance regarding the technical expertise and competence of employees.
What role does container dispatching play in a waste management ERP?
Container dispatching is a central margin factor in the waste management business, because containers standing unused tie up capital and give away revenue potential. A modern recycling ERP should therefore offer a status overview per container with location, occupancy, rental period and pending return, and ideally map container master data per type such as container, skip or press. Combined with tour and route planning via GPS or telematics connectivity, emptying intervals and vehicle deployments can be managed better. The specific depth of these functions differs by vendor and should be measured against your own container and fleet processes.