Electronic waste take-back: Courts see shortcomings at Aldi SĂĽd and Lidl
Electrical goods can be bought in discount stores from time to time. The stores have to take back old appliances, but sometimes this is not done.
(Image: DAMRONG RATTANAPONG/Shutterstock.com)
In the view of two courts, the discounters Aldi SĂĽd and Lidl still have deficits in their legal obligation to take back electronic waste. As announced by Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH) on Tuesday in Berlin, the organization has won injunctions before two courts. It had tested whether the discounter actually takes back small electrical appliances, as required by law since July 2022.
Environmentalists visited two Aldi SĂĽd stores, one of which, according to DUH, refused to accept the appliances. DUH also visited five Lidl stores, two of which reportedly said no. The environmental organization then went to court. The Regional Court of Mainz ruled against Aldi SĂĽd (12 HK O 30/23) and the Regional Court of Frankenthal against Lidl (2 HK O 36/23), as both courts confirmed on request.
Discounter speaks of an isolated case
Aldi SĂĽd and Lidl emphasized that they were complying with the legal requirements. Aldi SĂĽd spoke of an individual case in which the take-back had not worked "smoothly". The company regrets this and respects the court's decision. Aldi SĂĽd did not wish to appeal. Lidl did not want to go into detail about the ongoing proceedings. DUH had already filed a lawsuit against the Norma discount chain at the Nuremberg-FĂĽrth Regional Court in 2023 (case no. 4 HK O 6692/22). There was no judgment, but a settlement was reached - in which Norma undertook to comply with the rules in future.
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Since July 2022, supermarkets and discount stores with a sales area of more than 800 square meters must take back electrical appliances with an edge length of up to 25 centimetres free of charge. These include razors, electric toothbrushes, chargers and small toasters. If the appliances are larger, they only have to be taken back if the customer buys another comparable new appliance in the store at the same time.
Collection rate of electronic waste is falling
"It is a disgrace that Aldi SĂĽd and Lidl first have to be forced by the courts to comply with the legal obligation to take back electronic waste," explained DUH Federal Managing Director Barbara Metz, pointing out that similar proceedings are still ongoing against Aldi Nord and Netto. The collection rate for e-waste has recently fallen significantly again and is now only 32 percent in Germany. This is just half of what is required by law.
Lidl stated that it has been accepting small electrical appliances in Germany since July 2022. "To inform customers about this, a sign is permanently displayed in the stores in the main customer flow," said a Lidl spokeswoman. "The returned appliances are professionally recycled or disposed of by qualified external service providers." Aldi SĂĽd pointed out that customers could contact employees to return small electrical appliances. Normal commercial quantities - i.e. a maximum of three appliances per appliance type - would be accepted.
(mho)
