General information on waste electrical and electronic equipment

What is electrical and electronic equipment and waste electrical and electronic equipment and how must we deal with it from an environmental protection point of view? You can find more information here.

We use numerous appliances and devices with electrical and electronic components that only work with a source of power (electricity, battery) at work and in our leisure time. They are then electrical and electronic devices. Their use is growing steadily, resulting, naturally, also in an increase in the number of used and broken machines (waste electrical and electronic devices) that then have to be disposed of.

Environmental protection as common aim

The main aim of waste management law is to increase the volume of separately collected waste, which through recycling and re-use can then serve as raw material for new products. This also applies particularly to devices with electrical and electronic components. Such devices and their components can contain substances such as lead, mercury, cadmium and chromium, which can be very harmful to people and the environment. Waste electrical and electronic equipment must therefore be handled very carefully.

We must all take over responsibility for how we deal with our waste electrical and electronic equipment. It must all be collected and returned – regardless of whether it is thrown away at home (in the household) or at work (in companies). Waste electrical and electronic equipment from the household can be returned free of charge: at retailers (points of sale) when buying a new appliance or at the collection centres of municipal waste management companies.