Deutsche Umwelthilfe: Over 40% of Old Batteries Improperly Disposed

Berlin – The German Environmental Aid (Deutsche Umwelthilfe, DUH) has criticized the low collection rates for old batteries from consumer products in 2025. The organization's own calculations indicate that only 56.0 percent of batteries intended for consumer use were collected properly. This signifies that over 40 percent are improperly disposed of and thus lost to recycling.

Improper disposal leads to the waste of valuable resources, the release of harmful substances into the environment, and the risk of fires, particularly with lithium-ion batteries. The collection rate for lithium-ion batteries was only 25 percent in 2025, a figure the DUH finds deeply concerning, especially as German law mandates a 63 percent collection rate from 2027 onwards.

The DUH is calling on the German Federal Ministry for the Environment to implement urgent measures to improve battery legislation and increase collection rates. Furthermore, the organization advocates for an EU-wide deposit system for lithium-ion batteries to incentivize consumer returns.

According to DUH, manufacturers also play a crucial role in consumer education. Current obligations are deemed insufficient, and manufacturers should be required to invest more in information campaigns that specifically highlight the dangers associated with improperly disposed lithium-ion batteries.