Battery-Law-Notices

Information on the disposal of used batteries

The following information is addressed to those who use batteries or products with built-in batteries and no longer sell them in the form in which they were delivered (end users):

1. The free take-back of used batteries.

Batteries may not be disposed of with household waste. You are required by law to return used batteries to ensure proper disposal. You can return used batteries to a municipal collection point or to your local retailer. As a distributor of batteries, we are also obliged to take back used batteries, although our obligation to take back used batteries is limited to used batteries of the type that we carry or have carried as new batteries in our product range. You can therefore either return used batteries of the aforementioned type to us with sufficient postage or hand them in free of charge directly to our dispatch warehouse at the address given in the imprint.

2. Meaning of battery symbols

Batteries are marked with the symbol of a crossed-out wheeled bin (see below). This symbol indicates that batteries must not be disposed of with household waste. For batteries containing more than 0.0005% by mass of mercury, more than 0.002% by mass of cadmium or more than 0.004% by mass of lead, the chemical name of the pollutant used is shown below the wheeled bin symbol - "Cd" stands for cadmium, "Pb" for lead and "Hg" for mercury.
 

3. Automotive Batteries

The following peculiarities apply to the sale of automotive batteries (i.e. batteries intended for starting, lighting or ignition of vehicles): According to § 10 BattG, the seller is obliged to charge the final consumer a deposit of 7.50 euros including VAT per vehicle battery if the final consumer does not return an old vehicle battery to the seller at the time of purchase of the new vehicle battery. The customer will receive a deposit voucher at the time of purchase of a vehicle battery. The customer may return the old automotive battery to the seller for a refund of the deposit collected. Due to hazardous materials regulations, the old automotive battery may not be shipped to the Seller. Alternatively, the Customer may return the old automotive battery to a collection point set up by the public waste disposal authority. If the old automotive battery is not returned to the seller collecting the deposit, the person authorised to collect the old automotive battery pursuant to § 11 Para. 3 BattG is obliged, upon request, to confirm to the final consumer in writing or electronically that the old automotive battery has been taken back without reimbursement of the deposit. In this case, the seller shall reimburse the deposit to the customer if the customer provides the seller with a written or electronic proof of return pursuant to Section 10 para. 1 sentence 4 BattG, which is not older than two weeks at the time of submission.