Electronic Scrap and Old Appliances Wastes

In today's society electrically operated devices and appliances for an wide variety of purposes have become an established part of our everyday life at home and at work. Accordingly they result in large quantities of "electronic scrap". The number of electric and electronic devices in German homes is put at around 900 million, including some 40 million colour television sets.

Every year the old equipment discarded gives rise to about 1,8 million tonnes of "electronic scrap". As well as valuable raw materials such as copper and sheet steel, the devices contain a certain amount of environmentally harmful components such as picture tubes containing lead and cadmium, printed circuit boards treated with bromine, capacitors containing PCBs, or parts treated with flame prevention agents.
Up to now only about 400.000 tonnes per year are collected and recycled.

To prevent such devices being disposed of on landfill sites for domestic waste or incinerated in domestic waste treatment plants, an "Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act" entered into force in Germany in March 2005.
It is based on a new European directive waste electronic devices and a directive restricting certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic devices, witch came into force in February 2003.

More information: Details about the German Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act