Waste electrical equipment and batteries

When delivering a new machine, the Seller collects free of charge waste equipment of the same type, in a number of units not exceeding the number purchased (1:1 rule). It is sufficient to request this before delivery in the Order notes or by email to biuro.swepcore@gmail.com. Waste electrical equipment, batteries and accumulators must not be disposed of together with other waste - they must be taken to a collection point, e.g. the municipal selective waste collection point (PSZOK). The Seller's BDO registration number: [do uzupełnienia: nr bdo].

The Seller is SWEPCORE PIOTR WOJTKIEWICZ, ul. Przedwiośnie 4F, 73-110 Grzędzice, Poland. Capitalised terms have the meaning given to them in the Terms and Conditions (link in the Shop footer).

1. Free collection of waste equipment on delivery (1:1)

The Seller collects waste equipment free of charge at the place of delivery of the new Goods (Article 37 of the Polish Act on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment, Dz.U. 2024 poz. 573). Rules:

the waste equipment is of the same type and performed the same functions as the Goods purchased - e.g. a used scrubber dryer for a new scrubber dryer, a used vacuum cleaner for a new vacuum cleaner, including one of another brand;
there may not be more waste units than units purchased - when 2 vacuum cleaners are bought, the Seller collects at most 2 used ones;
the Customer pays neither for the collection nor for the transport of the waste equipment.

How to request collection

Enter the collection request in the notes field when placing the Order or send it by email to biuro.swepcore@gmail.com before delivery.
State the type of equipment, the number of units and the approximate weight, and say whether a pallet is needed for loading.
Prepare the waste equipment at the place of delivery so that the carrier can take it away when delivering the new Goods.

Requesting collection before delivery makes it possible to book transport that will take away the waste equipment (e.g. on a pallet) on the same trip. If the Customer does not request collection before delivery, they can do so within 14 days of delivery - the Seller will then agree with them a date for the free collection of the waste equipment at the place of delivery.

How to prepare the equipment for transport

For safe transport, the waste equipment should, as far as possible, be:

complete, not dismantled into parts;
with the solution and dirty water tanks emptied, and without containers of chemical agents;
with a battery free of electrolyte leaks, without cracks in the casing or signs of overheating;
with the battery terminals protected against short-circuiting, e.g. with insulating tape.

This is a request for safe transport, not an additional condition for collection. If the equipment is incomplete or damaged, and especially if the battery is leaking, swelling or heating up, the Customer describes this in the request - the Seller will then choose a safe method of collection.

2. What the crossed-out wheeled bin symbol means

The crossed-out wheeled bin symbol is placed on electrical equipment, batteries and accumulators. It means that, once they are used up, they must not be disposed of together with other waste, including in the mixed waste container. They must be handed in separately - to a waste equipment collection point or a battery and accumulator collection point.

A chemical symbol under the bin on a battery, e.g. Pb (lead), Cd (cadmium) or Hg (mercury), means that the battery contains that metal.

Why separately: waste equipment and batteries may contain hazardous substances, including lead and sulphuric acid (lead-acid batteries) or flammable electrolyte (lithium-ion batteries). If abandoned or disposed of with other waste, they contaminate soil and water and harm health, and a damaged lithium-ion battery can cause a fire, including in a refuse lorry. When handed in for collection, they are sent for treatment, and the recovered raw materials - including steel, aluminium, copper, plastics and lead - go back into production.

3. Where to hand in waste equipment and batteries outside the Shop

Selective municipal waste collection point (PSZOK) - run by the municipality, it accepts waste from households. The address, opening hours and list of accepted waste are provided by the municipal office, usually on its website.
Waste equipment collector - a company entered in the BDO register that collects waste electrical and electronic equipment. This route is used mainly by businesses whose waste equipment does not come from a household.
Battery and accumulator collection point - small batteries are accepted by, among others, shops that sell them and PSZOKs. Large machine batteries are accepted by companies collecting waste batteries, and also by some PSZOKs - it is worth asking in advance.

4. Batteries in machines - safety

Depending on the model, battery-powered machines have lead-acid batteries (e.g. gel or AGM) or lithium-ion batteries. The battery type and whether batteries are included in the set are stated on the product page. The battery type is also stated in the machine's operating instructions and on the battery label. The guidance for batteries with liquid electrolyte will also be useful, among other things, for waste equipment handed over for collection.

Every battery

Charge only with the charger supplied with the machine or specified in the operating instructions, in accordance with those instructions.
Do not short-circuit the terminals: do not place tools or metal objects on the battery.
Do not use or charge a damaged battery: one that is cracked, swollen, leaking or overheating.
Do not open the casing, do not repair the battery yourself, and do not expose it to fire or high temperatures.

Lead-acid batteries (including gel and AGM)

Charge in a ventilated place. During charging, the battery may give off hydrogen, which forms an explosive mixture with air. Do not smoke, do not use naked flames and avoid sparks nearby.
The electrolyte is corrosive sulphuric acid. When handling a battery with liquid electrolyte, wear protective gloves and goggles. After contact with the skin or eyes, rinse immediately with plenty of water, and after contact with the eyes, see a doctor.
Transport and store a battery with liquid electrolyte in an upright position. Check and top up the electrolyte level only as described in the instructions.
Do not open gel and AGM batteries. Charge them using the charging programme intended for the given type.

Lithium-ion batteries

Charge only with the charger intended for the given battery, away from flammable materials.
If the battery swells, smokes, gives off an odour or becomes very hot - stop work and charging, disconnect the charger if it is safe to do so, and move away. In the event of smoke or fire, call the emergency number 112.
A damaged lithium-ion battery is transported as dangerous goods, in special packaging, in accordance with the regulations on the carriage of dangerous goods. Do not send it as a standard shipment and do not transport it loose. For 1:1 collection, it must be described in the request.

Waste battery

Do not dispose of it with other waste. Hand it in to a waste battery and accumulator collection point, to a PSZOK (if it accepts them) or to a company collecting waste batteries - see point 3.
Until it is handed in, store it in a dry, cool place, with the terminals protected with insulating tape. A battery with liquid electrolyte - in an upright position, preferably in a sealed, acid-resistant container.

The Shop does not sell batteries as separate Goods. If the Seller starts selling them, it will supplement this page with the rules for the free take-back of waste batteries (Article 62 of Regulation (EU) 2023/1542).

5. The user's role in collection and recovery

It is the user - a private individual or a business - who decides where a used machine and its battery end up. By handing them in for collection as described in points 1 and 3, the user:

enables hazardous substances to be removed safely;
makes it possible to recover raw materials and reuse them;
reduces the risk of fire and environmental contamination.

Waste equipment is best handed in whole. It should not be dismantled into parts, nor should parts be sold for scrap - dismantling should be carried out by a treatment facility that safely removes hazardous substances.

6. BDO registration number

The Seller places equipment on the market under its own SWEPCORE brand and is therefore entered in the BDO register (the register of entities placing products and packaged products on the market and managing waste). Registration number: [do uzupełnienia: nr bdo].

7. Legal basis

Polish Act of 11 September 2015 on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (consolidated text: Dz.U. 2024 poz. 573) - Articles 13, 14, 37 and 39.
Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 concerning batteries and waste batteries (OJ L 191, 28.7.2023) - Article 74.

Last updated: 1 October 2026.