Information on the Disposal of Waste Electrical Equipment
Information on the disposal of waste electrical and electronic equipment
Under the German Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act (ElektroG), we are obliged to inform you about the proper disposal of waste electrical and electronic equipment.
Meaning of the crossed-out wheeled bin symbol
The crossed-out wheeled bin symbol on electrical and electronic equipment indicates that this equipment must not be disposed of with normal household waste at the end of its life. The separate collection of waste equipment serves to protect the environment and human health.
Return and disposal options
You have the following options for disposing of your waste electrical equipment free of charge:
- Municipal collection points: You can hand in your waste equipment free of charge at the local recycling depots or recycling centres of your municipality.
- Take-back by distributors: The following are obliged to take back waste equipment free of charge: retailers with a sales area for electrical and electronic equipment of at least 400 m², online retailers with storage and shipping areas for electrical and electronic equipment of at least 400 m², and food retailers with a total sales area of at least 800 m² that offer electrical equipment several times a year. When you buy a new device of the same type, they take back one old device; even without a purchase, they take back up to three small old devices per device type with an edge length of up to 25 cm.
Responsibility of end users
End users are legally obliged to hand over waste equipment for separate collection. Please do not dispose of waste electrical and electronic equipment with household waste; instead, use the return options mentioned above.
Data protection information
Please note that, as an end user, you are yourself responsible for deleting any personal data on the waste equipment to be disposed of.
Note on batteries and rechargeable batteries
If your waste equipment contains batteries or rechargeable batteries, please remove them before disposal, provided this is possible without destroying the device. Information on the proper disposal of batteries can be found on our Information on Battery Disposal page.