All discarded appliances that run on electricity (plug, battery or battery) and energy-efficient light bulbs can be handed in for recycling or reuse. Also known as e-waste.
If you buy a new electrical or electronic appliance, you can return the old appliance (e-waste) to the shop of purchase free of charge. At many shops you can return small discarded electrical devices hand in, without having to buy a new product. The shop will take care of recycling the device.
You can also offer your discarded equipment at one of the environmental centres. This applies to household appliances, not appliances from businesses. Apart from appliances, you can also return lamps and consumer luminaires for recycling. These include desk lamp, floor lamp and pendant lamp.
You can repair broken electrical appliances (or have them repaired) by a repair café. If the product is still under warranty, you can have it repaired by or through the supplier. Many devices, such as computers, tablets and phones, but also lamps, for example, still have market value. You can sell them. Or perhaps give them away to a charity shop. Ask the charity shop about the possibilities. You can only deliver e-waste with packaging if this is desirable from a safety point of view. For example, light bulbs in their original packaging.
What falls under e-waste?
- Electric tools
- Televisions, radios and headsets
- Small household and kitchen appliances (such as a hairdryer, curling iron, toaster and coffee maker)
- Computers, faxes, printers and copiers
- Phones
- Refrigerators
- Washers and dryers
- Tools (such as a drill, sander, electric screwdriver and electric gardening tools)
- Toys, games and sports equipment (such as a rowing machine, exercise bike and remote-controlled car)
- Medical equipment (such as an electronic thermometer)
- Measuring and monitoring devices (such as a thermostat and smoke detector)
- Energy-saving and LED lamps and luminaires
- E-cigarettes and vapes
What does not fall under e-waste?
- Separate batteries
- Loose batteries
- Appliances with fuel in them (such as a lawnmower or chainsaw with fuel engine)
- Chemical waste (such as oil residues, gas bottles, fire extinguishers, paint cans, paint sprayers and paint tubes)
- Light bulbs. These belong to the residual waste)
- Fluorescent lamps and energy-saving bulbs. These belong to the small chemical waste.
- Non-electr(on)isic equipment (such as bulky waste, empty gas bottles and paint cans). You can hand these in at the environmental street, but not in the e-waste container)
Return for recycling
Handing in discarded appliances, lamps and luminaires for recycling is good for reusing raw materials. And it prevents them from ending up in landfills. Therefore, do not throw them away but hand them in. Special companies sort and dismantle discarded appliances. Then products and valuable materials (raw materials) are reused. And waste products are processed in an environmentally responsible way.
Please deliver neatly
Make sure there are no added liquids or fats left in the appliance. For example, supply a deep fryer without oil or fat residues. Deep-frying fat, cooking oil and oil residues you can visit one of our environmental centres hand in. And make sure no food is left in a fridge or freezer when you hand it in. This way, you help ensure that the employees of the sorting and dismantling companies can work safely. And you contribute to an efficient recycling process. As little interference as possible will then have to be removed from collected e-waste. Thank you for your cooperation!