Audi vehicles or individual Audi Genuine Parts contain batteries, e.g., the high-voltage traction battery, the starter battery or commercially available device batteries.
As an end user, you are legally obliged to dispose of batteries correctly, as indicated by the printed crossed-out waste bin. This means that you are obliged to collect and dispose of batteries separately from normal household waste.
You can return batteries to your Audi company or specialist company free of charge. In the case of commercially available batteries, these can also be returned to the trade businesses that distribute them.
Handling lithium (Li) batteries requires special care, e.g., they must not be strongly heated or damaged. Batteries containing heavy metals are labelled with the chemical symbols Cd (cadmium), Hg (mercury) and Pb (lead), provided that these heavy metals are present in concentrations above the relevant limit values. Battery components can damage human and animal health and accumulate in the environment. To avoid these consequences, it is essential to ensure separate collection and proper return.
It is often possible to prepare waste batteries, by means of mere testing, cleaning or repair, such that they can be reused for the same purpose for which they were originally intended without further pretreatment. A high-voltage traction battery can still be used outside the vehicle even after years of use in the vehicle. This so-called second-life use saves important resources and protects the environment. You can contribute to this by returning your end-of-life vehicle to a certified collection point for end-of-life vehicles, so that the battery is dismantled properly without damage being caused. If the battery needs to be replaced, your Audi partner will take care of the disposal of the used battery.
In addition to the possibility of reuse, you can help prevent the generation of waste and littering in the environment by, for example, examining the possibilities of repairing your device before proper disposal.