Information on waste electrical and electronic equipment

Many watches, smartwatches, and music boxes contain electronic components, batteries, or rechargeable batteries. Therefore, at the end of their lifespan, they are considered electrical or electronic waste and must not be disposed of with regular household waste.

The following information is aimed at private households and explains how you can dispose of old devices correctly and in an environmentally friendly manner.

1. Which of our products are affected?

Our range of electrical and electronic devices primarily includes:
battery-powered wristwatches and digital watches,
smartwatches and fitness watches,
small music boxes and Bluetooth speakers,
other devices with electronic functions, batteries, or rechargeable batteries.

Mechanical watches, which are exclusively powered by a mechanical movement and do not contain a battery or electronic components, are generally not electrical devices in the sense of these guidelines.

2. Electrical waste does not belong in household waste

Owners of old electrical and electronic devices are obliged, according to § 10 Abs. 1 Satz 1 Elektro- und Elektronikgerätegesetz – ElektroG (Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act), to collect their old devices separately from unsorted municipal waste.

Old watches, smartwatches, and music boxes must therefore not be disposed of with household waste. They must be handed in at a designated collection or take-back point.

Separate collection allows for the recovery of contained raw materials and the proper treatment of potential pollutants.

3. Meaning of the crossed-out waste bin symbol

Electrical and electronic devices are marked with the symbol of a crossed-out wheeled bin in accordance with § 9 Abs. 2 ElektroG.

The symbol means that the product must not be disposed of with household waste at the end of its life.

You can find this symbol, for example, on:

the back or bottom of a smartwatch,
the casing of a small music box,
the device itself,
the packaging,
the operating instructions, or
the product documentation.

The obligation to provide information about the meaning of the symbol arises from § 18 Abs. 3 Satz 1 Nr. 7 ElektroG.

4. Remove batteries and rechargeable batteries before returning

Many classic quartz watches contain a button cell battery. Smartwatches and rechargeable music boxes usually have a permanently installed rechargeable battery.
According to § 10 Abs. 1 Satz 2 ElektroG, old batteries and rechargeable batteries that are not enclosed in the old device must generally be separated from the device before being handed in at a collection or take-back point.

Battery-powered watches

If a watch battery can be safely removed without damaging the device and without special tools, it should be removed before returning and disposed of separately as an old battery.
However, please do not open a watch case yourself if special tools or expert knowledge are required. Improper opening can damage the watch or the battery.
In this case, you can hand in the watch with the battery inserted at a suitable take-back point.

Smartwatches and music boxes

The batteries of smartwatches and small music boxes are often permanently installed in the device. Do not attempt to forcibly remove a permanently installed battery.
In this case, hand in the device completely and undamaged at a suitable collection or take-back point.
Damaged, deformed, leaking, or bulging batteries and rechargeable batteries must not be sent unprotected or reused. In such a case, please contact a suitable municipal collection point or contact us in advance.

5. Free return of small devices without new purchase

Watches, smartwatches, and small music boxes are generally small electrical devices.
Old devices that are no larger than 25 centimeters in any external dimension can be returned free of charge, even if you do not purchase a new device from us, under the legal conditions according to § 17 Abs. 1 Satz 1 Nr. 2 ElektroG.
Returns are limited to three old devices per type of device.

This means, for example:

up to three old watches,
up to three old smartwatches, or
up to three small music boxes of the same device type.
The free return of these small devices must not be made dependent on the purchase of a new product.

In online retail, returns are made in accordance with § 17 Abs. 2 ElektroG via suitable return options within a reasonable distance from the respective end-user. A free collection at your home is generally not provided for such small devices. You are welcome to contact us using the contact form; we will be happy to help you find a suitable take-back point.

6. Return upon purchase of a new device

When purchasing a new electrical or electronic device, you can return an old device of the same type free of charge, in accordance with § 17 Abs. 1 Satz 1 Nr. 1 ElektroG, if the old device essentially fulfills the same functions as the new device.

This applies, for example, to the following cases:

old smartwatch for new smartwatch,
old battery-powered watch for new battery-powered watch,
old small music box for new small music box.

For the small devices we offer, returns in online retail are generally handled through the return options or collection points provided by us.

Please do not send old devices to our general returns or shipping address without prior arrangement.

7. Our return options

The obligation to provide information about the return options we have created arises from § 18 Abs. 3 Satz 1 Nr. 5 ElektroG.
For the free return of your old watch, smartwatch, or small music box, the following options are available to you:

Return to our store

You can drop off suitable small electrical devices at our store during our opening hours:

Juwelier Kreuzkamp

Lindenstr. 12

49593 Bersenbrück

For questions about returns, you can contact us in advance via our contact form or at info@juwedi.de.

Please do not send old watches, smartwatches, music boxes, or devices with lithium batteries to us unsolicited by mail. We will be happy to inform you about the appropriate return option for your device.

8. Further return options

In addition to the return options we offer, you can also hand in old electrical and electronic devices at collection points of public waste management authorities.

This includes, in particular:

municipal recycling centers,
recycling yards,
municipal hazardous waste collection points, as well as
other collection points set up by manufacturers or distributors.

The collection by public waste management authorities is regulated in § 13 ElektroG.
Information on a collection point near you can be obtained from your city, municipality, or the responsible waste disposal company.

9. Delete personal data on smartwatches

Personal data can be stored on smartwatches and other networked devices. This includes, for example:

names and contact details,
health and fitness data,
location and movement data,
messages and notifications,
payment information,
access data, or
links to a user account or smartphone.

According to § 18 Abs. 3 Satz 1 Nr. 6 ElektroG, you are responsible for deleting personal data before handing in the old device.
Therefore, reset your smartwatch to factory settings if possible before returning it. Also, disconnect the connection to your smartphone as well as to your Apple, Google, Samsung, or other user account.
If applicable, remove any existing SIM card or memory card.
For small music boxes, you should also delete stored Bluetooth connections, Wi-Fi access data, or user accounts, or reset the device to factory settings.
We assume no responsibility for data that is still on the device or on storage media contained therein at the time of return.

10. Safe return of devices with batteries

Please handle watches, smartwatches, music boxes, batteries, and rechargeable batteries carefully and protect them from:

damage,
moisture,
extreme heat,
short circuits, and
mechanical pressure.

In the event of a damaged, deformed, leaking, or bulging battery, there is an increased risk of fire and injury.
Such a device must not be sent by letter or package without prior clarification. Please contact a suitable municipal collection point or contact us in advance.

Removable batteries should be secured against short circuits in such a way that their contacts cannot touch each other or other conductive objects.

As of August 1, 2026