The whistleblowing scheme serves to identify potential risks or breaches at an early stage and to respond appropriately. The whistleblowing scheme can be used to report information concerning acts or omissions in the course of professional, business or official activities which reveal corrupt, fraudulent, dangerous or illegal activities and constitute a breach of legal provisions or contractual agreements. This also includes actions which are not directly unlawful but which misuse the spirit and purpose of a legal provision. Reports may relate in particular to:

• Breaches of due diligence obligations and human rights along the supply chain (e.g. exploitation, child labour, slavery, etc.)
• Breaches of public health or safety regulations (including data protection)
• Fraud, embezzlement, theft and similar offences
• Bribery and any form of corruption
• Tax evasion
• Money laundering
• Financing of terrorist organisations
• Environmental damage
• Breaches of product safety regulations

All reports received will be treated confidentially and investigated thoroughly.

Reports may be submitted by the following individuals or groups:

• Suppliers and their employees
• Business partners
• Other third parties who become aware of potential breaches in connection with our business activities

We provide our employees with their own internal reporting system.

Reports can be submitted to our Compliance Department via the following channels:

Email: compliance@herthundbuss.com
Telephone: +49 (0) 6104 608 217

Reports may also be submitted anonymously, where legally permissible.

All reports are treated confidentially. Individuals who report matters in good faith need not fear any adverse consequences. The identity of whistleblowers is protected in accordance with legal requirements.

Incoming reports are reviewed by the relevant compliance office and processed in accordance with a structured procedure. All relevant information is taken into account and, where necessary, appropriate measures are taken.

Further information on our principles and expectations of our business partners can be found in our Code of Conduct for Suppliers.

Batteries fall under the scope of EU Directive 2006/66/EC (battery directive, German BattG).

Our appliances may contain appliance batteries. These are usually permanently installed in the appliances for technical reasons and cannot be removed by the user. The removability by specialist personnel independent of us is guaranteed.

Some of our appliances also contain removable batteries. You are legally obliged to return old batteries and can hand them in free of charge at municipal collection points and at retail stores for standard household quantities. Otherwise, contact our return service at Entsorgung@herthundbuss.com.  

The symbol with the crossed-out waste bin on the appliance battery means that you are not allowed to dispose of batteries in unsorted waste. Batteries are also marked with the chemical symbol for the respective pollutant they contain. Batteries containing more than 0.0005 percent by mass of mercury, more than 0.002 percent by mass of cadmium or more than 0.004 percent by mass of lead, are marked with the chemical symbol of the metals (Cd for cadmium, pb for lead, heg for mercury).

Used batteries can contain pollutants that could damage the environment or health if they are not properly stored and disposed of. Batteries also contain important raw materials that can be recycled. The separate collection and recycling of used batteries for the environment is therefore of particular importance.

We take part in the return and collection systems for batteries in Europe.

Our packaging falls within the scope of the VerpackG, which is the German implementation of EU Packaging Directive 94/62/EC.

The packaging law aims to avoid packaging waste as far as possible and to carry out reuse or recycling, in order to keep as many valuable resources as possible in the cycle. The separate collection and recycling of waste packaging for the environment is therefore of particular importance.

The manufacturer or distributing company in the respective country is always responsible for the return and disposal of packaging. We ensure disposal by using an international recycling network of the PARTSLIFE industry solution. If you would like to return packaging, please contact us at Entsorgung@herthundbuss.com. We will arrange the collection of the packaging and the appropriate recycling.

Our registration numbers with the relevant national registers in Germany are as follows:

Herth+Buss Mobility Solutions GmbH & Co. KG

WEEE reg. no. with stiftung elektro-altgeräte register (ear): DE65183759

Batteries reg. no. with stiftung elektro-altgeräte register (ear): DE 97331702

Packaging reg. no. with Zentrale Stelle Verpackungsregister (ZSVR): DE3026602390347

The EU directives mentioned above also apply to our foreign subsidiaries in the EU, where they have been transposed into national laws. Comparable laws also apply in the UK.

As national laws are implemented differently in the various countries, not all subsidiaries fall within the direct scope of application.

As distributing companies, the general obligation to take back electrical appliances, batteries and packaging placed on the market applies to all our subsidiaries within the national borders. If you would like to return an appliance, battery or packaging, please contact us at Entsorgung@herthundbuss.com.

National laws

WEEE Directive 2012/19/EU

• France: Décret n° 2014-928 dated 19 August 2024,
• Belgium: Environmental Policy Agreement for the Flemish Region, 19 November 2015, B.S. 18 May 2016, Environmental Policy Agreement for the Walloon Region, 11 May 2010, B.S. 10 June 2010, Environmental Policy Agreement for the Brussels Metropolitan Region, B.S. 29 February 2012

• UK: Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2013 (SI 2013 No. 3113)
• Spain: Real Decreto 110/2015, del 20 de febrero, sobre residuos de aparatos léctricos electrónicos RAEE, most recently amended by Real Decreto 27/2021.

Battery Directive 2006/66/EC

• France: Décret n° 2009 – 1139 dated 22 September 2009
• Belgium: Royal decree 2009-1255
• UK: Waste Batteries and Accumulators (Amendment) Regulations 2015 (SI 2015 No. 1935)
• Spain: Real Decreto 106/2008, de 1 de febrero, sobre pilas y acumuladores y la gestión ambiental de sus residuos, most recently amended by Real Decreto 27/2021

Packaging Directive 94/62/EC

• France: Décret n° 2020-105 dated 10 February 2020
• Belgium: déchets d'emballages dated 5 March 1997
• UK: Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 2007 (SI 2007 No. 871)
• Spain: Real Decreto 1055/2022 de Envases y Residuos de Envases dated 27 December 2022

Our registration numbers with the relevant national organisations and agencies are as follows:

Herth+Buss BELGIUM S.R.L

WEEE reg. no. with Recupel: 944851
Batteries reg. no. with Bebat: 637956
Packaging reg. no. with Fost Plus: 012587

Herth+Buss France S.A.S

WEEE reg. no. with Ademe: FR029310_05ZPQ4
Batteries reg. no. with Ademe: FR029310_0668KL

Herth+Buss UK LTD.

WEEE reg. no. with the Environment Agency: WEE/MM6628AA
Batteries reg. no. with the Environment Agency: BPRN09039