Return of old devices

Electrical and electronic equipment.

Information for private households

1. separate collection of old appliances

Electrical and electronic appliances that have become waste are referred to as old appliances. Owners of old appliances must dispose of them separately from unsorted municipal waste. In particular, old appliances do not belong in household waste, but in special collection and return systems.

2 Batteries, rechargeable batteries and lamps

As a rule, owners of waste appliances must separate waste batteries and accumulators that are not enclosed in the waste appliance and lamps that can be removed from the waste appliance without destroying them before handing them in at a collection point. This does not apply if waste appliances are prepared for reuse with the participation of a public waste management organisation.

3. options for the return of waste appliances

Owners of old appliances from private households can hand them in free of charge at the collection centres of the public waste disposal authorities or at the take-back points set up by manufacturers or distributors within the meaning of the ElektroG. Shops with a sales area of at least 400 m² for electrical and electronic equipment and food shops with a total sales area of at least 800 m² that offer electrical and electronic equipment several times a year or permanently and make it available on the market are obliged to take it back. This also applies to distribution using means of distance communication if the storage and dispatch areas for electrical and electronic equipment are at least 400 m² or the total storage and dispatch areas are at least 800 m². Distributors must ensure take-back by providing suitable return facilities at a reasonable distance from the end user. The possibility of returning an old appliance free of charge exists for distributors subject to the take-back obligation if, among other things, a new similar appliance that essentially fulfils the same functions is supplied to an end user. If a new appliance is delivered to a private household, the similar old appliance can also be handed over there for collection free of charge; this applies to appliances of categories 1, 2 or 4 in accordance with Section 2 (1) ElektroG, namely "heat exchangers", "display screen equipment" or "large appliances" (the latter with at least one external dimension of more than 50 centimetres) if they are distributed using means of distance communication. End users are asked about their intention to return waste when concluding a purchase contract. In addition, it is possible to return old appliances that do not exceed 25 centimetres in any external dimension free of charge to the distributors' collection points, irrespective of the purchase of a new appliance, and this is limited to three old appliances per appliance type.

4. data protection notice

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.

5 Meaning of the "crossed-out wheelie bin" symbol

The crossed-out wheeled bin symbol regularly shown on electrical and electronic appliances indicates that the appliance in question must be collected separately from unsorted municipal waste at the end of its service life.