Battery Law Notices

Information and Instruction on Battery Law

Fulfillment of Obligations in Online Commerce Placement of Notices: According to § 18 (1) Sentence 2 BattG, anyone who sells batteries in "distance selling to end users ...must provide the information in the presentation media used by them...". Therefore, in the online shop, a separate button with the label "Information on Battery Disposal" must be set up, and the corresponding information text (see below under b)) should be centrally displayed there. If it is not technically possible to set up a centrally accessible button with the information (as in the case of eBay or similar platforms), the information text can be included in the item descriptions. However, the information text should stand out clearly from the rest of the item description, for example through bold print or distinctive framing.

Instruction Text:

"Information on Battery Disposal In connection with the sale of batteries or the delivery of devices containing batteries, we are obliged to inform you of the following: You are legally obligated to return used batteries as an end user. You can return old batteries, which we carry or have carried in our range as new batteries, free of charge to our dispatch warehouse (shipping address). The symbols shown on the batteries have the following meaning: The symbol of the crossed-out waste bin means that the battery must not be disposed of in household waste. Pb = Battery contains more than 0.004% lead by mass Cd = Battery contains more than 0.002% cadmium by mass Hg = Battery contains more than 0.0005% mercury by mass. Please observe the above information."

Reporting Obligation: According to the BattG, every manufacturer is obliged to notify the Federal Environment Agency, free of charge, before they introduce batteries into commerce (either separately or as part of another product). If the manufacturer fails to fulfill this obligation themselves, there is a ban on offering the batteries by the distributor. Such batteries are subject to a prohibition on sale according to § 3 (4) BattG. Dealers of improperly registered batteries are obliged to make the notification to the Federal Environment Agency retroactively. Notifications are made exclusively electronically via the website of the Federal Environment Agency, the so-called Battery Law Reporting Register, which can be accessed here: https://www.battg-melderegister.umweltbundesamt.de/battg/authenticate.do A violation of this reporting obligation is subject to fines. For questions about the Battery Law Reporting Register, the Federal Environment Agency has compiled its own FAQ here.