For this reason, you as a consumer are obliged under the Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act applicable in Germany to ensure proper disposal separate from household waste. To make this clear, since 2005 all new electrical and electronic products placed on the market have been marked with the symbol of a crossed-out dustbin as a visible sign of resource conservation and environmental protection.
The Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act regulates in a binding manner what happens to the collected electrical and electronic products:
They must be collected and transported in such a way that no hazardous substances can be released en route. Certified waste management companies treat the products, render harmful substances harmless and recover raw materials in complex processes, which are then fed back into the production process as secondary raw materials. For suitable end-of-life products, the legislator also prescribes an examination of whether reuse would be possible. Ideally, the old products can be refurbished and reused as good second-hand products. Second-hand smartphones, PCs and laptops in particular may be suitable for a second or third life. In this respect, the proper collection and disposal of electrical and electronic products protects the climate and the environment and also conserves the earth’s increasingly scarce resources.
