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Information on electrical and electronic equipment

The following information is intended for private households that use electrical and/or electronic equipment. Please follow these important instructions in the interest of environmentally sound disposal of old appliances and your own safety.

1. Notes on the disposal of electrical and electronic (waste) equipment and on the meaning of the symbol according to Annex 3 to the ElektroG

Owners of old electronic equipment must dispose of it separately from unsorted municipal waste. Old electronic devices must therefore not be disposed of as unsorted municipal waste and, in particular, do not belong in household waste. Instead, these old appliances must be collected separately and disposed of, for example, via the local collection and return systems.

Owners of old electronic devices must also separate old batteries and old accumulators that are not enclosed in the old electronic device, as well as lamps that can be removed from the old electronic device without destroying it, from the old electronic device before dropping it off at a collection point.

The latter does not apply insofar as the old electronic devices are separated from other old electronic devices in accordance with § 14 Paragraph 4 Sentence 4 or Paragraph 5 Sentence 2 and 3 ElektroG within the framework of opting by the public waste management authorities for the purpose of preparing them for reuse.

By means of the symbol according to Annex 3 to the ElektroG, owners can recognize old electronic devices that are to be collected separately from unsorted municipal waste at the end of their service life. The symbol for the separate collection of electrical and electronic equipment represents a crossed-out wheeled garbage can and is designed as follows:

2. Free take-back of old equipment by distributors

Distributor (any natural or legal person or partnership offering or making available on the market electrical or electronic equipment) with a sales area for electrical and electronic equipment of at least 400 square meters (in case of distribution using means of distance communication, instead with storage and shipping areas for electrical and electronic equipment of at least 400 square meters), as well as distributors of food products with a total sales area of at least 800 square meters , who offer and make available on the market electrical and electronic equipment several times in a calendar year or on a permanent basis (in case of distribution using means of distance communication instead with total storage and shipping areas of at least 800 square meters), are obliged towards end users to take back old electronic equipment free of charge as follows:

a) Return/collection in case of purchase of a new device and delivery to a private household

Upon conclusion of a purchase contract for a new electrical or electronic device, the distributor is obliged to take back, free of charge, an old device of the same type that fulfills essentially the same functions as the new device.

If the place is a private household, the return takes place by a free pick-up. For this purpose, an old device of the same type with essentially the same functions can be handed over to the delivering transport company when the new device is delivered.

If the new device is sold exclusively by means of distance communication (Section 312c (2) of the German Civil Code), the following shall apply by way of limitation:

  • Free collection of an end-of-life device of the same type and function will only be provided if it is a category 1 device (heat exchangers), 2 (screens, monitors, devices with screens with a surface area of more than 100 square centimeters) and/or 4 (large devices where at least one of the external dimensions is more than 50 centimeters).
  • If instead it is an old device of category 3, 5 and/or 6, a free pick-up does not take place and instead the following letter b) applies for the free return.

An overview of the device categories and the devices covered in each case can be found here: https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/elektrog_2015/anlage_1.html

b) Return when buying a new device and handing it in elsewhere/return of small devices

When concluding a purchase contract for a new electrical appliance that is not delivered to a private household and when selling a new appliance of categories 3, 5 and/or 6 exclusively by means of distance communication (Section 312c (2) of the German Civil Code (BGB)) with delivery to a private household, it is possible to return an old appliance of the same type that essentially fulfills the same functions as the new appliance to the distributor free of charge.

The same possibility exists independently of the purchase of a new electrical or electronic device also for old devices, which are not larger than 25 centimeters in any external dimension. In this case, the possibility of return by the end user to the distributor is limited to 3 old electronic devices per type of equipment.

In the case of sales exclusively using means of distance communication (Section 312c (2) of the German Civil Code (BGB)), the return of old appliances that do not exceed 25 centimeters in any external dimension shall be carried out under the above-mentioned conditions by means of suitable return options at a reasonable distance from the respective end user.

In the case of sales exclusively using means of distance communication (Section 312c (2) of the German Civil Code (BGB)), the return of old equipment in categories 3, 5 and/or 6 shall take place under the above-mentioned conditions by means of suitable return facilities at a reasonable distance from the respective end user.

Otherwise, the return takes place at the place of delivery or in the immediate vicinity thereof.

Distributors must have set up appropriate return facilities for this purpose.

3. Notes on the options for returning old equipment

Owners of old electronic devices can hand them in within the framework of the possibilities for the return or collection of old devices set up and available by public waste management authorities, so that proper disposal of the old devices is ensured. If necessary, it is also possible to hand in electrical and electronic equipment there for the purpose of reusing the equipment. For more information, please contact the respective collection or return point.

4. Privacy notice

Some of the old devices to be disposed of contain sensitive personal data that must not fall into the hands of third parties.

We expressly point out that end users of old devices must take responsibility for deleting personal data from the old devices to be disposed of.

5. Note on our WEEE registration number

We are registered with the Stiftung Elektro-Altgeräte Register, Nordostpark 72 in 90411 Nuremberg, Germany, as a producer of electrical and/or electronic equipment under the following registration number:

DE 14797810