Simply hand in old electronic devices in the supermarket or at a discounter: this option, which has been in place since July 1, aims to improve the recycling of disused mobile phones, old shavers and similar small devices in Germany. But the new delivery points have so far only been used hesitantly, according to a survey by the German Press Agency among the large German retail chains.
The Rewe Group, which also owns the Penny discount chain in addition to the supermarkets of the same name, admitted: “So far, little use has been made of the offer in our stores.” only used in moderation”. And Lidl reported: “So far we have found that this offer is accepted cautiously.” According to its own statements, Germany’s largest grocer Edeka could not provide any information on its use because of its cooperative, decentralized structure. The Edeka discount subsidiary Netto reported that demand varies depending on the branch location.
Fancy hot pizza, juicy burgers or fresh sushi? Order now from Lieferando.
Since July 1, the new regulation of the Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act has also obligated supermarkets, discounters and drugstores with a sales area of more than 800 square meters to take back old electrical equipment if they sell electrical and electronic equipment several times a year or permanently. In order to meet these requirements, electric toothbrushes are already on offer.
Specifically, retailers have to accept old devices with dimensions of up to 25 centimeters edge length – such as kettles, shavers or smartphones – even without buying a new device. However, the obligation to take back is limited to three devices per device type. In the case of larger devices such as computers or televisions, the obligation to take them back only applies if you buy a new device of the same type.
The original for this article “Return service for electronic devices is hardly used in Germany” comes from chip.de.
