Environment and Disposal

We supply electrical equipment, devices with batteries and rechargeable batteries, and everything in packaging. This page explains how to return or correctly dispose of used batteries, waste equipment and packaging, what the symbols mean, and where to reach us about this.

Used batteries · Waste electrical and electronic equipment · Packaging · Contact

Take-back of used batteries

We take back used batteries free of charge. You do not need to buy anything from us to do this, and it does not matter where you originally bought the battery. The take-back covers portable batteries and light means of transport (LMT) batteries in the types we carry in our range, in normal household quantities.

How to return used batteries

• With a delivery: Give the used batteries to our delivery driver or let us know about the return in advance, then we will plan it in.
• By post: Write to us at sales@lt-laborhandel.com, we will send you a free return route. Please note the safety information further down.
• In person: Drop-off at our warehouse in Bremen during business hours.
• Local authorities and retailers: In addition, municipal recycling centres and collection points in shops accept used batteries.

Your legal obligation

As an end user, you are legally required to dispose of used batteries through separate collection. Used batteries do not belong in household waste or in the general waste container at your business.

What the symbols on the battery mean

Safety information, especially for lithium

Tape over the terminals before returning the battery to prevent a short circuit, and transport the cells individually. You must not send damaged, deformed or swollen cells by parcel. They can overheat severely and catch fire. Hand in such cells at a municipal collection point and explicitly point out the damage there.

Batteries built into the device

Please remove used batteries that are not enclosed by the device before handing it in. If a battery is permanently installed and enclosed by the device, it stays in the device. You then return the device as waste electrical and electronic equipment, see the section on waste electrical and electronic equipment.

Why batteries are collected separately

Batteries contain metals that can be recovered, and substances that harm the environment and health if they end up in general waste. In household waste, lithium cells also regularly cause fires in collection vehicles and sorting plants. Separate collection keeps both where they belong.

Before the battery becomes waste

Rechargeable batteries last longer when stored cool, dry and at a medium charge level. Before replacing one, check whether the capacity recovers through a charge cycle. On many laboratory devices, the battery can be replaced individually, and the device stays in use.

Return of waste electrical and electronic equipment

Why electrical equipment does not belong in household waste

Electrical and electronic equipment contains raw materials that can be recovered, and components that have no place in general waste. The German Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act (ElektroG) therefore requires waste equipment to be collected separately from unsorted municipal waste. This obligation applies to all end users, private households as well as laboratories, practices, clinics and businesses (§ 10 (1) sentence 1 ElektroG).

The crossed-out wheelie bin symbol

On many devices, on the rating plate, in the instruction manual or on the packaging, you will find a crossed-out wheelie bin. At the end of its use, the device does not belong in household waste or in the general waste container at your business.

Municipal collection points

Every city and district provides collection points, usually as a recycling centre, and in many municipalities also as a mobile hazardous waste collection service. Ask your local authority about acceptance conditions and opening hours.

Equipment used exclusively for commercial purposes

For waste equipment used exclusively for commercial purposes, the manufacturer is required to provide a reasonable take-back option (§ 19 ElektroG). Equipment that can also be used in private households counts as waste equipment from private households (§ 3 no. 5 ElektroG). If you are unsure, ask us.

Before you hand in a device

Delete personal data. You are responsible for this yourself. In the laboratory, it is worth a second look: log and batch data in test, climate and refrigeration cabinets, measurement series in analytical instruments, user accounts and Wi-Fi access data in networked devices, memory cards and USB sticks in the device.

Remove used batteries and lamps. Remove used batteries and rechargeable batteries that are not enclosed by the device, as well as lamps that can be removed without being destroyed, from the device before handing it in (§ 10 (1) sentence 2 ElektroG). If a battery is permanently installed, it stays in the device.

Caution with lithium-containing batteries. Damaged, deformed or swollen cells can overheat severely and catch fire. Tape over the contacts, transport the cells individually and hand in damaged batteries separately with a note about the damage.

WEEE registrations of our manufacturers

The registration obligation applies to the manufacturer, not the retailer. We check whether the manufacturers in our range are properly registered, and document the numbers here as a voluntary service. The source is the public register of stiftung elektro-altgeräte register, with the date shown in the last column in each case.

Packaging

Sales and shipping packaging that we place on the market takes part in a dual system. You can dispose of cardboard, paper, film and filling material through the recyclables collection: cardboard and paper in waste paper, film and plastics in the yellow bin or yellow sack. LT Laborhandel GmbH is registered with the Central Agency Packaging Register (LUCID) under number DE3275277479250.

We take back transport packaging that is not disposed of through the dual system, for example pallets, strapping bands or stretch film, free of charge at the point of handover or in its immediate vicinity on request, and pass it on for reuse or recovery. Let us know when you place your order or at delivery, then we will arrange the details with you.

Collecting packaging separately by material as far as possible helps cardboard, film and wood become raw material again instead of general waste.

Questions about returns? Get in touch

LT Laborhandel GmbH
Office
Lesumer Heerstraße 44
28717 Bremen

Phone: +49 421 67412774
Email: sales@lt-laborhandel.com