Disposal instructions
Environmentally friendly disposal of batteries and accumulators
Batteries and accumulators (rechargeable batteries) contain resources and hazardous substances. Every consumer is therefore legally obliged to hand in old batteries and accumulators at an authorized collection point. This ensures they are processed in an environmentally and resource-friendly manner.
Batteries are marked with the following symbol, which means that they must not be disposed of with household waste:
On batteries containing hazardous substances, you will additionally find the chemical symbols Cd for cadmium, Hg for mercury, and Pb for lead.
Household batteries and accumulators can be returned free of charge wherever comparable products are sold – regardless of where they were purchased and regardless of brand and type. In addition, municipal collection points (e.g., local recycling centers) accept old batteries free of charge.
Important safety information regarding lithium batteries: Lithium-containing batteries and accumulators pose a fire and safety risk if damaged or handled improperly. Please remove them if possible before disposing of a device and dispose of them separately. For high-performance batteries (e.g., mobile phone and laptop batteries), please tape over the terminals before handing them in at a collection point to prevent short circuits. Please hand in defective batteries at the hazardous waste collection point of your local recycling center.
You can find further collection points for all types of batteries near you at:
www.take-e-back.de
Information on the collection and recycling of old batteries as well as the associated costs can be found at:
www.batterie-zurueck.de
Environmentally friendly disposal of old electrical appliances
Electrical appliances are marked with the following symbol, which means that electrical and electronic equipment must not be disposed of with household waste:
Electrical appliances contain valuable resources as well as hazardous substances. Every consumer is therefore legally obliged to dispose of old electrical appliances separately from unsorted municipal waste and to hand them in at an authorized collection or take-back point – for example, at a local recycling center. Old electrical appliances are accepted there free of charge and processed in an environmentally and resource-friendly manner.
You can also find authorized collection points near you at:
www.take-e-back.de
Old appliances with an edge length of up to 25 cm are accepted free of charge at take-e-back collection points – regardless of where they were purchased. The return is not linked to the purchase of a new device and is limited to up to three old devices per device type (§ 17 ElektroG).
Old appliances with an edge length of over 25 cm are also accepted at take-e-back collection points. The prerequisite here is that you have purchased a new appliance from ADE and can prove this by presenting a corresponding proof of purchase.
If you cannot find a collection point near you at www.take-e-back.de, you can reach us via our contact form.
Why must old electrical appliances be handed in at a collection point?
Electrical appliances contain valuable resources as well as hazardous substances. Collection points pass the old appliances on to certified waste management companies, which first check whether the appliances can be refurbished and reused. Ideally, old products can be refurbished. If reuse is not possible, the old appliances are treated accordingly: hazardous substances are removed, and valuable resources are recycled. This protects the environment and increasingly scarce resources.
Note on waste prevention
According to the provisions of Directive 2008/98/EC on waste and its implementation in the legislation of the member states of the European Union, waste prevention measures generally take precedence over waste management measures. Measures for waste prevention for electrical and electronic equipment include, in particular, extending their service life by repairing defective devices and selling functional used devices instead of disposing of them. Further information can be found in the Federal Waste Prevention Program with the participation of the federal states:
www.bundesumweltministerium.de/download/abfallvermeidungsprogramm-des-bundes
Important instructions before handing in
Remove batteries
Please remove old batteries and accumulators that are not enclosed by the old electrical appliance before handing it in and dispose of them separately – as described above.
Remove lamps and bulbs
Please also remove lamps and bulbs that can be taken out of the old appliance without destroying it before handing it in and dispose of them separately at an authorized collection point (e.g., local recycling center).
Delete personal data
Every consumer is responsible for deleting personal data on the electrical or electronic device themselves. Please keep this in mind before handing it in.