Take-back and disposal in accordance with the law
Electronic old appliances must not be disposed of with household waste (see § 9, § 17, § 18 ElektroG, 2015). Every citizen has both the right and the obligation to hand in these devices at municipal collection points such as recycling centres. This does not incur any additional costs, as disposal must be free of charge.
The law provides that a retailer may be able to take back an old appliance if a comparable device is purchased there. However, this only applies to large appliances.
How can you tell what must not be disposed of with household waste?
♻️ This symbol means that the device must be collected and disposed of separately in order to protect the environment and health and to recover valuable raw materials (§ 18 ElektroG).
If a crossed-out wheelie bin symbol can be seen on the item, the item must not be disposed of in the residual waste bin and must instead be collected separately. This protects both individual health and the environment. It also enables the recycling of valuable materials (see §18 ElektroG).
Why must items be disposed of separately?
Old appliances often contain valuable raw materials, such as metals, but also hazardous substances. Separate collection enables the materials to be reused properly and helps prevent environmental pollution.
How should batteries and rechargeable batteries be disposed of?
Batteries, rechargeable batteries or lamps that are not permanently installed must be removed before handing in an old appliance and disposed of separately. These may contain raw materials such as zinc, iron or nickel, which can be recovered through proper recycling. Here too, the previously mentioned crossed-out wheelie bin symbol can be found.
Lithium batteries in particular can be dangerous if damaged or short-circuited and must therefore be handled carefully and properly with special care. The markings Cd, Hg or Pb indicate whether the battery contains cadmium, mercury or lead – substances that must not be released into the environment. Under § 6 para. 1 BattG (2020), end users are legally required to return used batteries to municipal collection points free of charge.
Disposal of old appliances
hjh OFFICE
Electrically height-adjustable desks are considered electrical appliances within the meaning of Section 3 (1) ElektroG, as they are powered by electricity and must therefore not be disposed of with household waste . You can dispose of your old appliances free of charge at a local recycling centre or a recycling collection point hand them in.
When you purchase a new desk from our brand, we will take back a comparable old appliance free of charge on request (Section 17 ElektroG). Please remove all non-permanently installed batteries, rechargeable batteries or lamps before returning the product and dispose of them separately. The crossed-out wheeled bin symbol indicates the obligation to collect separately. If batteries or rechargeable batteries are permanently installed in our products, we will ensure their safe handling in accordance with BattG as part of proper disposal.
Information for customers
At this point, we would like to refer you to the municipal collection and return points . If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us at any time:
Email: service@hjh-office.co.uk
Telephone: + 49 (0) 881 924 521 10
If we place devices on the market under our own brand, you can find our registration with the EAR Foundation here:
WEEE reg. no.: DE17209065
Battery reg. no.: 89662752
Further information can be found at:
Legal disclaimer
This text is provided for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. For a binding legal assessment or special cases, we recommend consulting the appropriate legal adviser.
Bibliography and further sources
Federal Ministry of Justice, 2020: Act on the Placing on the Market, Return and Environmentally Sound Disposal of Batteries and Accumulators (Battery Act – BattG). Section 25 BattG – Information obligations. https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/battdg/__25.html (accessed on 20.10.2025)
ElektroG, 2015: ElektroG from the citizens’ perspective: https://elektrog.de/buerger/ (accessed on 17.10.2025)
Federal Environment Agency, 2025: Waste electrical equipment – collection, treatment, disposal and product responsibility. https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/themen/abfall-ressourcen/produktverantwortung-in-der-abfallwirtschaft/elektroaltgeraete (accessed on 17.10.2025)
Bavarian State Ministry for the Environment and Consumer Protection, 2023: Bavaria Waste Guide – Electrical appliances & used batteries. Munich. https://www.abfallratgeber.bayern.de/haushalte/abfalltrennung/elektrogeraete_altbatterien/index.html
Federation of German Consumer Organisations (vzbv), 2024: Electronic waste: These devices belong in recycling.
https://www.verbraucherzentrale.de/wissen/umwelt-haushalt/abfall/elektroschrott-diese-geraete-und-gegenstaende-gehoeren-ins-recycling-12861
As of: October 2025