Umwelt und Entsorgung

Waste battery disposal

In connection with the sale of batteries or the delivery of devices that contain batteries, we are obliged to inform you about the following:

The Battery Act (BattG) regulates the placing on the market, the return and the environmentally friendly disposal of batteries and accumulators. Consumers should note the following: Batteries and rechargeable batteries must not be disposed of with household waste. Consumers are therefore legally obliged to return used batteries and accumulators. Old batteries can contain harmful substances that can damage the environment or health if not disposed of properly. However, batteries and accumulators also contain important raw materials (e.g. iron, zinc, manganese, cobalt, nickel, graphite, copper, aluminum, lithium) and are reused. Visible open terminals of batteries should be taped before return to avoid short circuits, this applies in particular to lithium batteries, which must be secured before disposal for safety reasons. Batteries contained in electronic devices must be disposed of separately from these. You can also return used batteries and accumulators to municipal collection points or recycling centers or to any retail store where batteries/accumulators are sold. You can also return old batteries that we have or have had in our range as new batteries to our shipping warehouse (shipping address) free of charge.

The symbols shown on the batteries have the following meaning:

The symbol of the crossed-out wheeled bin means that the battery must not be disposed of with household waste.

Pb = battery contains more than 0.004% by mass

Cd = battery contains more than 0.002% by mass of cadmium

Hg = battery contains more than 0.0005% by mass of mercury

Please note the above instructions. In doing so, you fulfill the legal obligations and make your contribution to environmental protection! More information can be found here.

According to the Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act 2022 (ElektroG3), devices that contain batteries must be designed in such a way that the batteries can either be removed easily and non-destructively by the end user or at least easily and non-destructively and with standard tools by specialist personnel independent of the manufacturer. Rudolf Flume Technik GmbH has undertaken to meet and comply with the specifications of the BattG. In this context, all suppliers are obliged to also comply with the relevant requirements. Accordingly, the batteries and accumulators we offer are registered with a take-back system by our suppliers. Rudolf Flume Technik GmbH has reported its batteries and accumulators to the manufacturer's own take-back system, the GRS foundation (contract no. 110042280) and is registered with the Stiftung Elektro-Altgeräte Register (EAR) for BatterieG with the registration number 14930620. The registration number at the Federal Environment Agency is 21002897.

In 2020, the Federal Environment Agency transferred official tasks from the BattG to the EAR Foundation. It also ensures the competitive implementation of the BattG by fulfilling the following tasks in particular: the registration of manufacturers who place batteries on the market in Germany or their BattG authorized representatives, the approval of self-return systems for used portable batteries and the collection of fees for the public services they provide.

More information on batteries and old batteries can be found at the Federal Environment Agency.

Electrical and electronic equipment recycling

Dispose of e-waste properly. How so?

E-waste can contain valuable raw materials that can be recycled and preserved in a sustainable manner, so the proper disposal of e-waste is an important issue. You can inform yourself about the many ways in which you can dispose of electronic waste easily and correctly. For more information, see PLAN-E, for example.

How can you tell if a device falls under ElektroG?

All electrical and electronic equipment brought onto the European market must be marked with the crossed-out wheeled bin symbol. This symbol indicates that the respective device should not be disposed of with household waste at the end of its service life, but should be disposed of separately from unsorted municipal waste. According to § 46 Para. 2 ElektroG, this requirement applies to manufacturers and distributors of B2B devices if the devices are placed on the market in Germany from January 1st, 2023.

Waste electrical equipment disposal

Distributors and manufacturers of electrical and electronic equipment are legally obliged to take back old equipment free of charge. This is not linked to the purchase of an electrical or electronic device and is independent of the ElektroG categories.

Rudolf Flume Technik GmbH is a member of the take e-way return system. Here you can find collection points for tradespeople in your area. There you can return the used old devices free of charge. It doesn't matter where you originally purchased the device. The acceptance of old devices may be refused if there is a risk to human health and safety due to contamination. According to the ElektroG3, manufacturers of B2B devices are obliged to submit a take-back concept to the Stiftung Elektro-Altgeräte Register (EAR) in the course of registration and also to inform the users of their devices about the disposal routes that have been set up. Flume Technik GmbH has this take-back concept deposited with the EAR Foundation via the partner take-e-way in accordance with the specifications.

Please note the following information!

Privacy:
In any case, you are responsible for ensuring that there is no personal data on the old devices you return. Therefore, make sure that you have deleted your personal data from your old device before returning it.

Batteries/rechargeable batteries in devices:
Remove (if non-destructively possible) all batteries and rechargeable batteries from the devices and take them to the environmentally friendly battery disposal.

Lamps (bulbs) in devices:
Remove (if non-destructively possible) the lamps/illuminants from the devices and dispose of them correctly in an environmentally friendly manner. Please also note the separate information on the disposal of old lamps.

The basis for the take-back obligation in Germany is the Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act in its version of May 20, 2021, valid from January 1, 2022 (ElektroG 3 for short). A summary of all information from manufacturers/distributors for users can be found here.

Flume Technik GmbH is registered with the "Stiftung Elektro-Altgeräte Register" (EAR) for ElektroG with reg. no. DE39521440. The EAR is the common body of the manufacturers within the meaning of the ElektroG and was entrusted by the Federal Environment Agency with the performance of sovereign tasks. Within this framework, the foundation registers the manufacturers of electrical and electronic equipment and coordinates the provision of collection containers and the collection of old equipment from the public waste disposal authorities (örE).

Waste lamp disposal

How to properly dispose of your old and broken bulbs.
Dispose of old lamps separately!

Which old lamps have to be disposed of separately?

Not every lamp or illuminant may be disposed of in the in-house garbage can. Here you can find out which lamps are to be disposed of separately..

Rudolf Flume GmbH is a member of the take-e-back return system. Here you can find collection points near you and you can return used lamps free of charge.

How to react if an energy-saving lamp breaks?

Please note the following important information: The only risk of coming into contact with harmful mercury is if an energy-saving lamp breaks. To ensure that you come into contact with as little mercury as possible in this case, please observe the following rules:

Be careful - don't cut yourself on the broken glass. Do not use the vacuum cleaner. Gently pick up broken pieces with a damp paper towel. Pack the broken pieces airtight in a plastic bag or mason jar and hand them in at the local recycling center or local pollution control center. Avoid skin contact and then ventilate the room for at least 20 to 30 minutes.

Packaging

The Packaging Act (VerpackG) aims to avoid or reduce the impact of packaging waste on the environment. Packaging waste should be avoided as a priority and also recycled. As part of the legislation, Flume Technik GmbH has registered with the central office (LUCID) under registration number DE4430887320936. Flume Technik GmbH has regulated the legal requirement "participation in a dual system" with the company Landbell AG.

Explosives Ordinance

On February 1, 2021, the EU regulation (2019/1148) on the marketing and use of explosives precursors came into force. It replaces and tightens the identically worded regulation (EU) No. 98/2013 from 2013 and is accompanied by changes to the REACh regulation. Restricted substances may only be supplied to commercial users above certain concentration values. The seller must then ask the prospective buyer for a statement that includes proof of identity, the person authorized to represent the prospective buyer, information about the company and the intended use of the restricted starting materials. A summary of the regulation can be found here.

The articles affected by this regulation are marked in our web shop and are stored with the corresponding form that the potential recipient has to fill out in the Documents tab on the article detail page.