Small devices, great value
WHAT TO DO WITH OLD MOBILE PHONES, REFRIGERATORS, ETC.?
ELEKTRO-ADE EXPLAINS THE PROCESS AND HELPS YOU FIND YOUR NEAREST COLLECTION CENTRE!
Not even the smallest electrical appliances and electronic devices should be thrown in the household rubbish – they’re far too valuable! “Small devices” include any appliance or device with an edge length of less than 50 cm. When properly collected and professionally processed, they are a source of many important raw materials.Weiterlesen
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What do I do with a broken washing machine or an old refrigerator?
There are a number of options for the proper collection, disposal and reuse of broken or unwanted appliances.
All of them are free for consumers – and good for our environment.Weiterlesen
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Your mobile phone has served you well for years,
but now it’s old and outdated.
When properly collected, old mobile phones can still be reused.
Through proper recycling of broken mobile phones, lots of valuable raw materials can be recovered.Weiterlesen
Have the lights gone out? Energy-saving bulbs and fluorescent tubes contain mercury, so they don’t belong in the bin with household rubbish. Instead, they must be separated from other rubbish and protected from breaking, then dropped off at collection centres (also known as “Mistplätze” or “Recyclinghöfe” in Austria).Weiterlesen
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Batteries contain a variety of valuable raw materials – and hazardous materials too.
Therefore, they must not be disposed of with household rubbish.
Instead, they should be returned to the shop or to your local
collection centre.Weiterlesen
In Austria, more than 161,000 tonnes of waste electrical and electronic equipment were collected in 2025 – 0.32 per cent more than in the record year of 2024. The amount of waste batteries collected remained at a high level, at 3,506 tonnes. With around 17 kilograms of waste electrical and electronic equipment collected per capita, Austria ranks among the top performers in the EU.
High collection rates and a need for reform regarding batteries
According to the updated EU calculation, Austria has achieved a provisional collection rate of around 90 per cent for waste electrical and electronic equipment. The collection rate for waste batteries stood at 50.7 per cent, exceeding the statutory target of 45 per cent. The waste management sector is calling for a longer calculation period when determining the battery collection rate: the EU uses a standardised three-year lifespan as a basis, whilst modern lithium batteries are often used for up to ten years.
Lithium batteries do not belong in general waste
According to research by the Montanuniversität Leoben, an estimated 17 million lithium batteries end up in general waste every year. Damaged batteries can cause fires in collection vehicles and facilities. From 12 to 17 October 2026, an Austria-wide ‘Action Week against Battery Fires’ will therefore be held for the first time to provide information on proper disposal. The ‘Her mit Leer II’ campaign, launched in the spring, had already reached more than 48 million gross contacts via audio channels and over 16.8 million contacts on television in the first half of the year.
Making recycling easier in everyday life
Used batteries and waste electrical and electronic equipment can be returned free of charge at retail outlets and collection points. Among other facilities, there are around 50,000 ‘Her mit Leer’ collection boxes and around 2,000 local authority collection points available for this purpose. To specifically supplement the already well-established collection infrastructure, the Coordination Office for Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EAK) is working on additional return options. As part of a pilot project, the use of deposit containers for small electrical appliances is to be trialled. At the same time, the EAK is campaigning for a standardised nationwide return scheme for e-cigarettes at tobacconists.
The current activity report of the EAK with the detailed collection results 2025 is available for download at https://www.eak-austria.at/.
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