The recycling of empty printer cartridges and old toners in accordance with the applicable recycling law

What you should know:

The new Closed Substance Cycle Waste Management Act (KrWG), which comes into force on 01.06.2012, transposes the amended EU Waste Framework Directive (2008/98/EC) into German law and modernises the waste legislation in force until then. The aim of the new law is to sustainably improve environmental and climate protection as well as resource efficiency in waste management through increased prevention efforts and improved recycling of waste.

Download the Recycling Management Act

§ 1 Purpose of the Act: The purpose of the Act is to foster the circular economy to conserve natural resources and to ensure the protection of people and the environment in the generation and management of waste.

What obligations arise for consumers from the Recycling Management Act?


§ 7 Basic obligations of the circular economy: Producers or holders of waste are obliged to recover their waste. The recovery of waste has priority over its disposal. The obligation to recover waste shall be fulfilled insofar as this is technically possible and economically reasonable, in particular insofar as a market exists or can be created for a recovered substance or recovered energy.


§ 9 Keeping waste separate for recycling: To the extent necessary to comply with the requirements under § 7 (2) to (4) and § 8 (1), waste shall be kept and treated separately.


If you have empty toner cartridges and printer cartridges, you are required by law to sort them and collect them separately. It sounds complicated, but it's not: use our purchase price lists or the purchase price search function to check whether your empty toner cartridges can be recycled. It is even easier with ink cartridges, where all models and types can be recycled. The best solution is to collect recyclable toner cartridges separately from non-recyclable toner cartridges:


§ 3 Definitions: Separate collection within the meaning of this Act is a collection in which a waste stream is kept separate according to the type and nature of the waste in order to facilitate or enable specific treatment.

Which recovery measures have priority in the KrWG?


A five-stage waste hierarchy has been newly introduced in the Closed Substance Cycle Waste Management Act, according to which prevention is to take priority over evaluation and disposal:


§ 6 Waste hierarchy: Measures of prevention and waste management are in the following order of priority: 1.prevention, 2.preparation for re-use, 3.recycling, 4.other recovery, in particular energy recovery and backfilling, 5.disposal. Based on the order of priority pursuant to paragraph 1, priority shall be given, in accordance with § 7 and § 8, to the measure which best ensures the protection of man and the environment in the generation and management of waste, taking into account the precautionary and sustainability principles.


This means that the principle of "avoid" applies before "recycle" before "dispose". According to this principle, recycling empty printer cartridges and toner cartridges is a priority for us. Act in accordance with the law and sell empty printer cartridges and recyclable toner cartridges to geldfuermuell GmbH.

What are the disposal options for empty toners and inks?


§ 3 Definitions: Recycling within the meaning of this Act is any recovery process by which waste is reprocessed into products, materials or substances either for the original purpose or for other purposes. Disposal within the meaning of this Act is any process that is not recovery, even if the process has the secondary consequence that substances or energy are recovered.


Recycling as a form of recovery comes far before disposal in the waste hierarchy. The obligation to recycle exists for producers and owners of waste and generally takes precedence over disposal. It always exists if it is technically possible and economically reasonable, especially if there is a market for a recovered substance. With us, you easily fulfil this obligation to recycle in accordance with the requirements and objectives of the Closed Substance Cycle Waste Management Act, namely the conservation of natural, global resources and ensuring the environmentally compatible recycling of waste. For each collection or return of empty toner cartridges or ink cartridges, you will receive a detailed list of contents. This serves as a simplified proof of whereabouts and disposal.

Why recycle recyclable toners via geldfuermuell GmbH?


§ 56 Certification of specialised waste management companies: Specialised waste management companies shall cooperate in fostering the circular economy and ensuring the protection of people and the environment in the generation and management of waste in accordance with the legal provisions applicable to this purpose.


The motto "recovery before disposal" clearly follows from the law. Only compliance is usually neither easy nor convenient for the consumer. Certainly, the manufacturers of the printing materials take back the empty printer cartridges for disposal. However, each manufacturer only takes back "its" products and practice shows that this often involves an immense amount of time. geldfuermuell GmbH, as a certified waste management company, stands for safety in recycling and takes care of feeding empty ink cartridges and toner cartridges for recycling.

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Did empty toner and printer cartridges count as hazardous waste?


§ 3 Definitions: Hazardous within the meaning of this Act is waste that has been determined by or on the basis of a statutory instrument pursuant to § 48 sentence 2. Non-hazardous within the meaning of this Act are all other wastes.


The term "hazardous waste" is used in common parlance to describe various types of waste with hazardous properties without a clear legal definition. According to the Ordinance on the List of Wastes (AVV), empty toner cartridges fall under "080318 - Toner waste with the exception of those falling under 080317" and are thus not considered hazardous waste.

What is the difference between material recycling and energy recovery?


Material recovery involves the substitution of raw materials by extracting substances from waste or using the material properties of the waste for the original purpose. Energy recovery involves the use of waste as a substitute fuel.