ANY QUESTIONS? WE HAVE THE ANSWERS!
Yes. The common collection scheme is offered on the same terms to all battery producers and importers. This is a stipulation of the Batteries Act. The list of disposal charges is broken down into weight categories, systems and battery types. The listed charges are the same for all users. There are no rebates or discounts.
GRS Batterien meets the following obligations on behalf of users: the obligation of producers and importers under the Batteries Act to collect batteries free of charge and to recycle these in accordance with the requirements of the Closed Cycle Waste Management and Disposal Act (KrW-/AbfG) and the obligation to dispose of non-recyclable batteries. To this end, GRS Batterien provides suitable containers and organises waste management operations such as logistics, collection, transport, sorting and recycling/disposal. These services are performed by providers selected on the basis of invitations to tender. Furthermore, GRS Batterien submits records of the above services annually to the relevant federal state authorities. (Link to GRS Batterien performance review in German)
You can enter into a user contract with GRS Batterien. All the necessary contracts and documents can be downloaded from our website. Please post the signed user contract to: Stiftung Gemeinsames Rücknahmesystem Batterien, Heidenkampsweg 44, 20097 Hamburg.
The list of disposal costs is broken down into weight categories, types and battery systems (e.g. alkaline-manganese or nickel-cadmium). For batteries weighing more than 1 kg, the disposal charge is calculated on the basis of the exact weight of the battery. The cost is calculated by the number of units of batteries newly placed on the market in Germany. This covers all costs. The requirement to report batteries to GRS Batterien does not apply to batteries that are exported.
If these are portable batteries, this is calculated per kg on the basis of the list of disposal costs.
GRS Batterien collects all "portable" batteries and accumulators. These must, however, contain no free-flowing fluids (liquid electrolyte).
No. There is no requirement that batteries or battery packaging bear our logo. If you wish to use it on batteries, packaging or on the operating instructions, we will be more than happy to supply you with the logo.
Yes. Every battery must bear the crossed-out wheeled bin symbol. If specified limits are exceeded for the heavy metals mercury, cadmium or lead, then the chemical symbol Hg, Cd or Pb must be shown below the wheeled bin symbol.
Additionally, portable and automotive batteries are to be labelled with their capacity in future. The calculation methods are still to be specified at EU level. This type of labelling will then become binding through a national regulation.
With the amendment of the Act Revising the Law of Waste-Related Product Responsibility for Batteries and Accumulators (EGBattG), the Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act (ElektroG) was also amended. This provides that electrical and electronic equipment that is wholly or partly powered by batteries or accumulators is to be designed in such a way that batteries and accumulators can be readily removed. Additionally, with electrical and electronic equipment, there is an obligation to provide a notice informing the user about the battery type and the chemical system of the battery or accumulator and instructions on how it can be safely removed.
The duty to collect batteries under the Batteries Act applies independently of the duty to collect the appliance under the Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act. This means that batteries must be reported to GRS Batterien even where there is another collection obligation for the appliance. GRS Batterien collects the batteries removed at the dismantling centres and disposes of these.
No. The Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive (Directive 2002/95/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 January 2003 on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment) applies to the appliance, not the battery. The document "FAQ on RoHS and WEEE" clearly states on page 11, Section 1.9, that the ban on heavy metals in the RoHS directive does not apply to batteries: "The RoHS Directive restricts the use of heavy metals [. . .] in electrical and electronic equipment, but does not apply to batteries."
Basically, both sets of regulations (Batteries Act/Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act) apply equally and independently of each other. Generally, the Batteries Act relates to batteries and the Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act to appliances. Both sets of regulations are to be applied in parallel.
No, because GRS Batterien collects the batteries and accumulators removed from the appliances and sorts and disposes of these. You should take this into account when awarding contracts to service providers where these contracts fall within the scope of the Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act.
There is a general ban on portable batteries containing more than the legally specified limit of 0.002% cadmium by weight. Exceptions to this are portable batteries for use in emergency or alarm systems, including emergency lighting, medical equipment and cordless power tools.