Return of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE)

Here you will find important information about the return of waste electrical and electronic equipment under the European WEEE Directive.

Please note that for customers from other European countries the respective valid local recycling regulations apply. The following regulations only apply within Germany.

Disposal of electrical and electronic equipment

According to § 10 (1) ElektroG, electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) must be collected separately from unsorted municipal waste. This means that they must not be disposed of with normal household waste. Electrical and electronic equipment may contain hazardous substances. A release of these substances has serious negative effects on the environment, wildlife and health.

On the Recycling page, you can learn more about the WEEE Directive and our measures for the safe disposal of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE).

Products that must not be disposed of with household waste are marked with the crossed-out garbage can symbol shown here.

Small electrical devices with an edge length up to 50 cm

You have the option to return your electrical devices with a maximum edge length of 50 cm - even if you have not purchased them at Sport-Tec. An overview of returnation points in your area can be found on the website of our service provider, after providing the device category, the kind of device, number of devices to return and your current location within the form.

Large electrical devices with an edge length over 50 cm

For devices that weigh more than 30 kg or have at least one outer measurement larger than 50 cm, you can arrange for free pickup via shipping service provider. Inducement is made by completing the return of old equipment form. Have the order number of the newly ordered device ready. You will then be contacted to arrange an individual pick-up date. Observe the applicable packaging guidelines when packing the old device. You will find these below.

Alternative disposal of waste electrical and electronic equipment

By continuing to use or refurbish old equipment and thus extending the product life cycle, you make a valuable contribution to the more efficient use of resources and the avoidance of waste.

Your alternatives to disposing of old equipment:

You can give away the old equipment that is no longer used or donate it to a charitable organization.
Support local recycling campaigns.
Return the device to an officially operated, authorized collection point for old devices. Collection points within Germany can be found, for example, at ERP Germany.

Important notes on collection by the forwarding service provider

The shipping service provider will send you a pickup confirmation together with the reference number by email in advance.
The item is usually picked up within 10 business days. Please note that this is an approximate value. In some cases, the collection time may be extended up to 15 working days. The extension of the period may be due, for example, to a lack of arrangements regarding collection or an increased volume of return requests. Individual agreements concerning a later collection date are not affected by this.
All collections by the forwarding agent are made at the kerbside.
Please remember to cancel your pickup request if you no longer need the pickup service. For this purpose, contact the forwarding service provider in time by phone or e-mail.

Instructions for deleting personal data from electrical and electronic equipment

Some electronic devices may offer options for storing personal or confidential data. This applies to computers, cell phones or cameras, for example. Please ensure in advance that said data is deleted from the device before releasing it for recycling.

Also remember to delete any personal or confidential data on internal storage media such as memory or SIM cards, or remove the storage media if possible before returning the device. Sport-Tec GmbH is not liable for the data on your device. Here are some recommendations on how to proceed:

Back up the data you want to keep (for example, photos, contacts, or messages) to another media.
Log out of accounts you are logged into, such as cloud storage, social media, or messaging apps.
Then reset the device to the factory settings.

The following guidelines apply to the packaging of old electronic equipment:

Make sure to pack the device in a sturdy outer packaging.
Use sewn or stapled boxes instead of glued boxes to ensure adequate stability.
Seal your box with preferably reinforced tape, applying three strips to both the top and bottom of the box so that the center seam and the two edge seams are sealed.
Do not use boxes or cartons that have already been affected by moisture.
Before disposing old equipment, batteries, accumulators and (incandescent) lamps must be removed if not a permanently installed part of the equipment.

If lithium batteries or cells are installed in your device (e.g. in cell phones) or are in the packaging, the following instructions must be observed in addition:

Do not return damaged or single batteries.
The packages shall be marked LITHIUM BATTERIES FOR RECYCLING.
Prevent damage to the device during packing and handling of the packaging, e.g. by using rubber mats.
The packaging must be constructed and closed in such a way that no contents are lost during transport.
Each package must be marked with one of the following labels depending on whether it is (1) Lithium ION or (2) Lithium METAL:

Important notification: We reserve the right to refuse returns of unacceptably packaged old equipment or equipment that poses a health or safety hazard.

Return form

In accordance with the European WEEE Directive, private customers (no resellers or institutional customers) have the option of returning their old electronic equipment to us free of charge when you order a new one. The old and the new device must belong to the same type of device and essentially fulfill the same functions. This is a so-called 1:1 return. To initiate this, simply fill out our Waste Equipment Return Form.