July 1, 2022, 1:42 pm | Read time: 4 minutes
Old electronic devices can now be easily dropped off at the supermarket. It doesn’t matter whether you bought them there or not. However, the devices shouldn’t be too large.
Since July 1, 2022, a new regulation has made it significantly easier for consumers to properly dispose of old and used electronic devices. Supermarkets and discount stores must now accept old kettles, razors, or smartphones–regardless of whether they were purchased there. This eliminates the need to travel to often remote municipal recycling centers or electronics stores in the city center. However, there are still some points to consider when disposing of or dropping off old devices.
Overview
New Regulations for Disposing of Old Electronic Devices
With the new regulation that came into effect in July 2022, retailers must now accept old electronic devices with dimensions up to 25 centimeters in length without requiring the purchase of a new device. This includes devices like kettles, razors, or smartphones. However, the obligation to accept returns is limited to three devices per type. For larger devices like computers or televisions, the obligation only applies when purchasing a new device of the same type.
The background is a new regulation of the Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act. It now requires supermarkets and discount stores with a sales area of more than 800 square meters to accept old electronic devices if they sell electrical and electronic devices multiple times a year or permanently. Even offering electric toothbrushes is enough to meet these requirements.
Supermarkets and drugstores will likely face more work and effort with the transition. However, they feel prepared. “The retail sector is ready and in the final stages of preparation. Everyone will start with return systems on time by July 1 and provide customers with the easiest possible opportunity to return their old electronic devices,” said Antje Gerstein, managing director responsible for sustainability at the German Retail Association (HDE), shortly before the deadline.
Read also: How to Dispose of Old Electronic Devices for Free and Correctly
How to dispose of old electrical appliances correctly and free of charge
These Battery Regulations Are Now in Effect–and Future Plans
How to Successfully Drop Off in Stores
The major German grocery retailers also indicated their readiness in a survey by the German Press Agency. Germany’s largest grocery retailer, Edeka, promises: “From July 1, 2022, our customers can drop off electronic devices in our stores.” Competitor Rewe even revealed how it will work in its stores: “You simply report to the checkout, and then it will be checked whether the device is eligible for return.” The devices will then be properly disposed of. According to the information, the same applies to Netto and Penny, the discount subsidiaries of the two retail giants.
Aldi also promises a “simple and uncomplicated return of old electronic devices” in all stores in Germany, as does Lidl. There, customers are to drop off old electronic devices at the checkout. “This corresponds to the practice learned by customers of exchanging goods or returning them under our warranty policy,” the company emphasized.
Read also: Are Cheaper Refurbished Apple Devices Worth It?
Easier Recycling and Resource Saving
For waste expert Rolf Buschmann from the German Federation for the Environment and Nature Conservation (BUND), the new regulation is a step in the right direction. “It is an additional simplification for consumers,” he says. This is important because “the return rate for electronic devices has been quite low so far.”
In fact, according to the Federal Environment Agency, Germany recently fell significantly short of the EU’s required collection rate of 65 percent, achieving only 44.3 percent. The industry says not much is likely to have changed in 2020. “We therefore actually need many more drop-off options in retail,” says BUND expert Buschmann.
The retail sector, of course, sees it somewhat differently. “The additional burden on retail from the return of old devices is considerable for many retail companies,” complained HDE managing director Gerstein. Often, especially in urban locations, only small storage areas are available. “If these now also have to be used for storing old electronic devices, it will be tight in many places.”