ElektroG

Too good and too dangerous to throw away

Old electrical and electronic appliances are too good to be thrown away, others contain hazardous substances and therefore do not belong in household waste. For this reason, every consumer is obliged under the German Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act ("Gesetz über das Inverkehrbringen, die Rücknahme und die umweltverträgliche Entsorgung von Elektro- und Elektronikgeräten", ElektroG) to ensure that they are disposed of properly and separately from household waste. To make this clear, since 2005 all new electrical and electronic equipment placed on the market has been labelled with the symbol of a crossed-out wheelie bin as a visible sign of resource conservation and environmental protection.

Owners of waste electrical and electronic equipment must separate batteries and accumulators that are not enclosed in the old appliance before handing them in at a collection point. Furthermore, the consumer is solely responsible for ensuring that all personal data that may be contained on old appliances is deleted before handing them in at a collection point. In their own interest, consumers are therefore legally obliged to back up all existing data, such as messages, music, photos, etc., before handing them in and then permanently delete them from the old devices. Not in the bin - but then where? Quite simply: With the aim of permanently increasing the actual take-back volume of waste electrical and electronic equipment, distributors (dealers) of electrical and electronic equipment in Germany are obliged to take back waste electrical and electronic equipment from end users from 25 July 2016. The following legal provisions apply in particular:

Information in accordance with the Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act (ElektroG)

According to the law on the placing on the market, return, and environmentally sound disposal of electrical and electronic equipment (ElektroG), we must inform private households:

1. Distributors with a sales area for electrical and electronic equipment of at least 400 square metres are obliged,
   1. when supplying a new electrical or electronic appliance to an end user, to return the end user's old appliance of the same type, which essentially fulfils the same functions as the new appliance, at the place of supply or in the immediate vicinity thereof, free of charge.
   2. to take back, free of charge, waste electrical and electronic equipment which does not exceed 25 centimetres in any external dimension, in normal household quantities, either at the retail outlet or in the immediate vicinity; the take-back may not be linked to the purchase of electrical or electronic equipment.

   The place of return within the scope of Section 1 Subsection 1 of ElektroG shall also be the private household, provided that the return takes place there by delivery. When concluding the purchase contract for the new electrical and electronic equipment, the end-user shall inform the distributor of his intention to return the old equipment when the new equipment is delivered.

2. In the case of distribution using means of distance communication, all storage and dispatch areas for electrical and electronic equipment shall be deemed to be sales areas within the scope of Section 1. In the case of such distribution, take-back shall be ensured by means of suitable return facilities at a reasonable distance from the end user.
3. Notwithstanding the obligations under Sections 1 and 2, distributors may voluntarily take back waste equipment free of charge.
4. Section 13 (5) Subsection 1 shall apply mutatis mutandis to take-back pursuant to Subsections (1) to (3). Take-back by distributors shall not take place at collection points or transfer points of the public waste management authorities pursuant to Section 13 (1). For take-back in accordance with Sections 1 to 3, Section 14 Subsection 2 shall apply accordingly. At the collection point, the removal of components from or from the waste equipment is not permitted; this does not apply to the removal of waste batteries and accumulators. Where distributors offer a collection service from private households as part of a voluntary take-back scheme under Section 3 in addition to the take-back service under Sections 1 and 2, they may charge a fee for this service.
5. If the distributors do not hand over returned waste appliances or their components to the manufacturers, in the case of authorisation pursuant to Section 8 to their authorised representatives or to the public waste management authorities, they shall be obliged to reuse the waste appliances or to treat them in accordance with Section 20 and dispose of them in accordance with Section 22. The distributor may not charge private households for the handover, treatment and disposal of waste appliances in accordance with Subsection 1

How we can help you

To dispose of your WEEE properly through us, please contact our customer service. We will then be happy to send you information on how to find a return centre near you.

We also fulfil our take-back obligation with the help of our partner FIEGE Relog.

Handed in at the retailer - and then?

The German Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act (ElektroG) regulates what happens to the collected appliances: First of all, they must be collected and transported in such a way that no hazardous substances are released during transport. Certified specialised waste management companies treat the appliances, rendering them harmless, and recover raw materials in complex processes, which are then fed back into the production process as secondary raw materials. Legislation also stipulates that suitable old appliances must be tested to determine whether they can be reused. Ideally, the old appliances can be refurbished and reused as good second-hand products. Second-hand smartphones, PCs and laptops in particular may be suitable for a second or third life. Therefore, you must effectively delete your personal data before you hand over the devices.

Properly disposed of, recycled, or reused - is that so important?

Absolutely! Although appliances such as monitors, fridges, or computers seem completely harmless in everyday use, they can still release hazardous substances if they are damaged or not disposed of properly. For example, appliances can contain heavy metals such as mercury or climate-damaging substances. Equally important in terms of environmental protection and resource conservation is the professional extraction of secondary raw materials from the appliances to be disposed of. Metals, for example, that are taken back from old washing machines can be returned to the material cycle. Proper collection and disposal of waste electrical and electronic equipment therefore protects the climate and the environment and also conserves the earth's increasingly scarce resources.