The German Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act (ElektroG) contains a large number of requirements for handling electrical and electronic equipment. The most important ones are summarized here.
WEEE-Reg.-NR. DE 18693781
Electrical and electronic equipment that has become waste is referred to as waste equipment. Owners of waste equipment must dispose of it separately from unsorted municipal waste. In particular, waste equipment does not belong in household waste, but in special collection and return systems.
Owners of old appliances must generally separate old batteries and accumulators that are not enclosed in the old appliance from the appliance before handing them in at a collection point.*
Owners of old appliances from private households can hand them in at collection points run by public waste disposal authorities or at take-back points set up by manufacturers or distributors in accordance with the ElektroG. An online directory of collection and take-back points can be foun here.
Old devices often contain sensitive personal data. This applies in particular to information and telecommunications technology devices such as computers and smartphones. In your own interest, please note that each end user is responsible for deleting the data on the old devices to be disposed of.
The symbol of a crossed-out wheelie bin, which is regularly displayed on electrical and electronic equipment, indicates that the device in question must be collected separately from unsorted municipal waste at the end of its service life.
According to the provisions of Directive 2008/98/EU on waste and its implementation in the legislation of the Member States of the European Union, waste prevention measures generally take precedence over waste management measures. Measures to prevent waste in the case of electrical and electronic equipment include, in particular, extending their service life by repairing defective devices and selling functional used devices instead of sending them for disposal. Further information can be found in the federal government’s waste prevention program, in which the states also participate:
*Disposal of used batteries
Help protect the environment by disposing of batteries and rechargeable batteries properly. Many devices come with batteries or rechargeable batteries that are necessary for operation. Owners of old devices must usually separate these old batteries and rechargeable batteries that are not enclosed in the old device before handing them in at a collection point. As a distributor of these batteries or rechargeable batteries, we are obliged to inform our customers that batteries or rechargeable batteries must not be disposed of in household waste.
As a consumer, you are legally obliged to take batteries to a suitable collection point, such as a retail store or a recycling center. This disposal is free of charge for you. You can obtain addresses of suitable collection points from your city or local government.
Returning used batteries by mail may not be permitted under certain circumstances due to hazardous materials regulations.
