Harmful substances in products are regulated by different legislative texts. These texts address either the substances (chemicals) or the product itself. The legal provisions are therefore classified either into chemicals law or product law, or sometimes waste law when chemicals become relevant at the waste treatment stage only.
Batteries are ubiquitous nowadays and enable us to use many different kinds of mobile devices independently of the power grid. The environmental and resource relevance of batteries stems from the valuable and hazardous substances they may contain. Hence under no circumstances should batteries ever be disposed of with household waste.
When it comes to collecting, sorting and transporting waste, a distinction is made between systematic and systemless approaches. The kirbside collection of bundled waste paper is an example of the latter. On the other hand various container systems are used for waste collection. Whereas residual waste is collected in gray containers, separate collection systems are used for a range of waste.
