Disposal instructions
Disposing of batteries and rechargeable batteries properly
Batteries and rechargeable batteries (accumulators) contain resources and pollutants. Every consumer is therefore legally obliged to hand in waste batteries and waste rechargeable batteries at an approved collection point. This ensures that they are sent for the material recycling required by law.
Batteries are marked with the following symbol, which means that batteries must not be disposed of with household waste:
Batteries containing pollutants are additionally marked with the chemical symbols Cd for cadmium, Hg for mercury and Pb for lead.
Household batteries and rechargeable batteries can be returned free of charge wherever comparable products are sold – regardless of where they were purchased and regardless of brand and type. In addition, municipal collection points (e.g. the local recycling center) accept waste batteries free of charge.
Important safety information on lithium batteries: Batteries and rechargeable batteries containing lithium pose a fire and safety risk if damaged or handled improperly. If possible, please remove them before disposing of a device and dispose of them separately. For high-performance batteries (e.g. cell phone and laptop batteries), tape over the terminals before handing them in at the collection point to prevent short circuits. Please hand in defective batteries at the hazardous waste collection of your local recycling center.
You can find further collection points for all types of batteries near you at:
www.take-e-back.de
Information on the collection and recycling of waste batteries and the associated costs can be found at:
www.batterie-zurueck.de
Disposing of waste electrical equipment properly
Electrical devices are marked with the following symbol, which means that electrical and electronic equipment must not be disposed of with household waste:
Electrical devices contain valuable resources as well as pollutants. Every consumer is therefore legally obliged to send waste electrical equipment for collection separately from unsorted municipal waste and to hand it in at an approved collection or take-back point – for example at the local recycling center. Waste electrical equipment is accepted there free of charge and sent for the material recycling required by law.
You can also find approved collection points near you at:
www.take-e-back.de
Old devices with an edge length of up to 25 cm are accepted free of charge at take-e-back collection points – regardless of where they were purchased. The take-back is not tied to the purchase of a new device and is limited to up to three old devices per device type (§ 17 ElektroG).
Old devices with an edge length of more than 25 cm are also accepted at take-e-back collection points. The requirement here is that a new device was purchased from ADE and that this can be proven by presenting a corresponding proof of purchase.
If you cannot find a collection point near you at www.take-e-back.de, you can reach us via our contact form.
Why must waste electrical equipment be handed in at a collection point?
Electrical devices contain valuable resources as well as pollutants. The collection points pass the old devices on to certified waste management companies, which first check whether the devices can be refurbished and reused. Ideally, old products can be refurbished. If reuse is not possible, the old devices are treated accordingly: pollutants are removed and valuable resources are sent for recycling. This protects the environment and increasingly scarce resources.
Note on waste prevention
Under the provisions of Directive 2008/98/EC on waste and its implementation in the legislation of the member states of the European Union, waste prevention measures generally take priority over waste management measures. For electrical and electronic equipment, waste prevention measures include in particular extending their service life by repairing defective devices and selling functional used devices instead of disposing of them. Further information can be found in the German federal government’s waste prevention program, drawn up with the participation of the federal states:
www.bundesumweltministerium.de/download/abfallvermeidungsprogramm-des-bundes
Important information before handing in
Remove batteries
Please remove waste batteries and waste rechargeable batteries that are not enclosed by the waste electrical device from the device before handing it in and dispose of them separately – as described above.
Remove lamps and bulbs
Please also remove lamps and bulbs that can be taken out of the old device without being destroyed before handing it in, and dispose of them separately at an approved collection point (e.g. the local recycling center).
Delete personal data
Every consumer is personally responsible for deleting personal data on the electrical or electronic device. Please remember to do this before handing it in.