Information for private households

The Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act (ElektroG) contains a variety of requirements for handling electrical and electronic equipment. The most important ones are summarized here.

1. Separate collection of waste equipment

Electrical and electronic equipment that has become waste is referred to as old equipment. Owners of old devices have to lead these to a separate collection from the unsorted municipal waste. Old devices belong in particular not into the domestic refuse, but into special collecting and return systems.

2. batteries and accumulators

Owners of old devices have old batteries and old accumulators, which are not enclosed by the old device, as a rule before the delivery at a collection point to separate from it. This does not apply insofar as the waste equipment is delivered to public waste management authorities and separated there from other waste equipment for the purpose of preparation for reuse.

3. Options for the return of waste equipment

Owners of old appliances from private households can hand them in at the collection points of the public waste disposal authorities or at the take-back points set up by manufacturers or distributors as defined by the ElektroG. An online directory of collection and take-back points can be found here: https://www.ear-system.de/ear-verzeichnis/sammel-und-ruecknahmestellen.jsf

4. data protection notice

e equipment often contains 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 end-of-life devices to be disposed of.

5. Meaning of the symbol "crossed-out dustbin"

The symbol of a crossed-out dustbin regularly depicted on electrical and electronic equipment indicates that the respective device is to be collected separately from unsorted municipal waste at the end of its service life.