Waste electrical equipment and batteries

Why don't waste appliances belong in household waste?

Waste electrical and electronic equipment contains valuable raw materials such as copper, aluminium and rare earths, but also harmful substances such as refrigerants, mercury or lithium batteries. Disposing of waste appliances separately ensures that these substances are treated properly and that raw materials are recovered. Disposal via household waste is prohibited by law and may be punished as a regulatory offence.

What does the crossed-out wheelie bin symbol mean?

Appliances that must be collected separately from household waste at the end of their use bear the symbol of a crossed-out wheeled bin. The symbol appears on the appliance, the packaging or the instructions for use. Since 1 July 2026, distributors subject to take-back obligations have additionally displayed this symbol clearly on product pages in the online shop, or during the ordering process, under section 18a ElektroG, and provide information there on how collection and take-back work.

How does 1:1 take-back work when you buy a new appliance?

If you buy a new electrical appliance from us, we take back one waste appliance of the same type that performs essentially the same functions, free of charge (section 17(1) sentence 1 no. 1 ElektroG).

For large appliances we ask you explicitly during the ordering process whether you want the take-back. The freight forwarder then collects the old appliance at the place of handover when the new appliance is delivered. Please disconnect, empty and clean the old appliance beforehand and make it freely accessible.

How does 0:1 take-back work for small waste appliances?

We also take back small waste appliances whose external dimensions are all no greater than 25 centimetres, without a new purchase — limited to household quantities of up to three appliances per appliance type (section 17(1) sentence 1 no. 2 ElektroG).

Examples are shavers, electric toothbrushes, kitchen scales, headphones, cables, power supply units, remote controls and small Bluetooth speakers.

How do I return a waste appliance to you?

As a distance seller we offer you reasonable, free return options:

• Send small waste appliances to: Aura Haushaltsgeräte GmbH, Altgeräterücknahme, Buchholz 4b, 59846 Sundern. You can obtain a free shipping label from our customer service.
• Collection of large appliances when the new appliance is delivered – please state this when ordering
• Subsequent collection of a large appliance by appointment with our customer service
• Questions about take-back: kontakt@aura-haushaltsgeraete.de or +49 176 14111374

Do I need to delete my data before returning a device?

Waste appliances such as smartphones, smartwatches, computers, televisions and modern household appliances may hold personal data. You are responsible for deleting this data yourself (section 10(1) ElektroG). Before returning an appliance, therefore, perform a factory reset, remove memory cards and SIM cards, and sign out of accounts.

Do I need to remove batteries and lamps first?

Waste batteries and rechargeable batteries, and lamps that can be removed from the waste appliance without destroying them, must be removed before return and disposed of separately. Where removal is only possible using tools or by destroying the item, please return the appliance complete.

How does take-back of waste batteries work?

Batteries and rechargeable batteries must not go into household waste. You are legally obliged to hand waste batteries over for separate collection.

You can return waste batteries and rechargeable batteries that we carry, or have carried, as new batteries in our range free of charge to our dispatch address. Alternatively, use the collection boxes in retail outlets or your municipal collection points. Returning them is free of charge for you.

Return address for waste batteries: Aura Haushaltsgeräte GmbH, Batterierücknahme, Buchholz 4b, 59846 Sundern.

What do the battery symbols mean?

Batteries and rechargeable batteries also bear the crossed-out wheelie bin symbol. If they contain certain harmful substances, a chemical abbreviation appears underneath:

• Pb – the battery contains more than 0.004 % lead by mass
• Cd – the battery contains more than 0.002 % cadmium by mass
• Hg – the battery contains more than 0.0005 % mercury by mass

What should I know about lithium battery safety?

Lithium-ion batteries can catch fire if damaged, short-circuited or stored improperly. Before returning them, therefore, tape over the terminals, and do not send damaged or swollen batteries by post — hand them in exclusively at a municipal collection point. Our customer service will help you with any questions.

Where can I find municipal collection points?

Independently of our take-back scheme, you can hand in waste appliances and waste batteries free of charge at the collection points of the public waste management authorities — at recycling centres, for example, or via hazardous-waste collection vehicles. You will find the locations on the website of your town or district.

Where can I find your registration numbers?

As we exclusively distribute equipment of third-party brands, we are not required under section 6 ElektroG to register ourselves with the Stiftung Elektro-Altgeräte Register; that obligation lies with the manufacturers of the brands we sell. For batteries and packaging, we are registered with the competent authorities:

• Battery register under the BattDG: DE 74835216
• Packaging register LUCID: DE 1951003946248