Batteries

Any retailer who sells portable batteries or batteries for light vehicles (LV batteries) must take back used batteries free of charge. This take-back obligation applies regardless of the size of the business and regardless of whether batteries have been purchased.

Collection boxes are provided for portable batteries, into which old batteries and rechargeable batteries can be disposed of.

Used vehicle batteries are collected separately from the portable batteries. Vendors of this kind of battery (e.g. car workshops, car spare parts merchants) must take them back free of charge regardless of a new purchase.

Municipal collection centres (e.g. waste collection centres, disposal sites or recycling centres) offer a free return service for portable batteries, LV batteries and, in many cases, starter batteries. As with used electrical appliances, the municipalities are compensated for their services by the collection and recycling systems.

Collection and recycling systems require authorisation from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Climate and Environmental Protection, Regions and Water Management (BMLUK). They are responsible for the coordinated collection of all used batteries from retailers and local authorities.

Electric vehicle batteries (electric cars, etc.) and industrial batteries must also be taken back by the seller free of charge.

Furthermore, there are also legal provisions regulating certain labelling requirements, recycling efficiencies for various battery types, producer definitions and system participation obligations, storage and treatment of the different categories of batteries.

Further links

Batteries (→ BMLUK)^{German text}

Legal basis

• Abfallwirtschaftsgesetz (AWG)
• Abfallbehandlungspflichtenverordnung
• Batterienverordnung
• Batteries Regulation (EU) 2023/1542