Disposing of Electrical Appliances Properly

• Collection bins for small electrical appliances are currently available at 58 locations.
• You can dispose of larger appliances via bulk waste collection or at the waste transfer station at the harbor.
• You can donate appliances that still work, for example, through the Erlangen Giveaway Exchange or at the social thrift store.

Electrical appliances require electricity to operate. This means that any appliance with a power plug, a battery, a rechargeable battery, or a solar cell is an electrical appliance. If the appliance consists primarily of electronic components, it is considered an electronic device. But where can these be dropped off or disposed of in an environmentally friendly way? Here you’ll find helpful tips and answers to the most important questions about small appliance disposal in the city of Erlangen.

Disposing ofSmall Appliances

At nearly 60 locations throughout the city, there are collection bins for small electrical appliances, each located next to existing collection containers for used glass. All small electrical appliances that fit through the opening in the lid of the collection container (opening approx. 15 x 26 cm) are accepted. You can recognize the gray collection bins by their sticker and orange lid. You can view the current locations of the small electrical appliance collection bins in the city’s digital waste calendar.

View collection container locations in the waste calendar

Overview of the types of appliances that can be disposed of in the collection bins:

• Small household appliances: for example, cordless and handheld vacuum cleaners, irons, egg cookers, electric toothbrushes, hair dryers, coffee makers, blenders, whisks, clock radios, electric shavers, calculators, toasters, clocks, scales, electric kettles
• IT and telecommunications devices: for example, answering machines, computer parts, cell phones, mice, keyboards, telephones; no monitors or televisions!
• Consumer electronics: for example, baby monitors, Game Boys, small radios, small speakers, MP3 and CD players, arcade machines, stereo systems, Walkmans and Discmans, cameras, camcorders, modems, satellite receivers
• Lighting fixtures: for example, string lights, Christmas lights, LEDs (please, none with fragile glass casings); no energy-saving bulbs or fluorescent tubes!
• Electric and electronic tools: for example, cordless screwdrivers, drills, routers, pumps, saws, grinders
• Electric toys: for example, train sets and racetracks, game consoles
• Medical devices: for example, infusion pumps, measuring devices
• Surveillance and monitoring devices: for example, motion detectors, smoke detectors
  

Please note:

• Please always dispose of devices without batteries or rechargeable batteries (please drop off removed lithium-ion batteries and devices with built-in batteries at the hazardous waste collection point at the recycling center—see address below)
• Do not place anything next to the bin
• Do not remove anything from the collection bin

Disposing of Larger Electrical Appliances

Use the bulky waste collection service or the waste transfer station at the harbor to dispose of larger electrical appliances.

Once a year, you can have all types of electronic and electrical appliances picked up free of charge as bulky waste.

Schedule a bulky waste pickup

The waste transfer station at the harbor is operated by the ZVA (Erlangen/Erlangen-Höchstadt Waste Management Association). There, you can also drop off small electrical appliances free of charge in normal household quantities. This public-law association collects all waste for recycling or disposal, as well as hazardous waste. You can also drop off hazardous waste free of charge at the hazardous waste collection point at the waste transfer station.

Information about the waste transfer station at the harbor

Other Options for Disposing of Electrical Appliances

In addition to the options mentioned above, there are other facilities in Erlangen where you can drop off your old electrical appliances for free or have them picked up

Electronics stores and grocery retailers

Retailers of electrical and electronic equipment with a sales area of more than 400 square meters are legally required to accept small waste appliances free of charge and larger waste appliances free of charge when a new purchase is made. Old appliances can also be dropped off at grocery stores (such as discount stores) if the sales area exceeds 800 square meters and electrical and electronic equipment is offered there several times a year or on a permanent basis.

All obligated retailers must accept returns both when the customer purchases a new, equivalent appliance and when no new appliance is purchased. However, without the purchase of a corresponding new appliance, retailers are only required to take back appliances where no external dimension exceeds 25 cm.

Not everything has to be thrown away right away

Do you have an electronic device that works perfectly but that you no longer use in your household? Perhaps someone is looking for exactly that. By passing it on instead of throwing it away, you’re making an important contribution to environmental and climate protection.

In Erlangen, there are various options available for exchanging and passing on items:

Erlangen Giveaway and Swap Market

At the Erlangen Giveaway and Exchange Marketplace, you can post an ad online to give away your device or exchange it for another item. Contact between sellers and interested parties is made by phone on a private-to-private basis. Would you like to swap an item? Simply specify the item you’d like to swap in the text field.

Erlangen Social Thrift Store

The staff at the Erlangen Social Thrift Store will pick up working electrical appliances free of charge within the city limits of Erlangen. Preliminary discussions and scheduling of pickups take place by phone at 9200-4599. To arrange a pickup, send a brief email with your phone number to sozialkaufhaus@stadt.erlangen.de.

“From Private to Private” Project

At the Erlangen waste transfer station, electrical appliances get a second chance. Two shelves are set aside for appliances that are in working order or in need of minor repairs. These are picked up once a week and donated to nonprofit organizations. Popular items include laptops, PCs, monitors, televisions, hi-fi systems, and tools.

Free Store

The Erlangen Free Store was launched over 10 years ago as an initiative of the youth organization Bund Naturschutz. Its goal is to showcase a completely different side of consumption and offer a sustainable alternative to the throwaway society.

Smart New Purchases—Get Advice!

Are you planning to buy a new appliance? Get advice before you buy! At the Energy Advisory Center (EBZ) of Erlangen’s municipal utilities, you can find out which appliances have the lowest energy and water consumption.

More info on the Energy Counseling Center

Additional questions about electrical appliances are answered on the website of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety, and Consumer Protection (BMUV): BMUV FAQs on the ElektroG