Change from July: Lidl, Kaufland & Co. – customers receive this new right

From July, supermarkets and discounters will also have to take back electronic waste. This has advantages for customers, but is also subject to conditions.

June 13 update: Customers can rejoice! From July 1, supermarkets and discounters such as Kaufland and Lidl will have to take back electronic waste. Concretely, this means: If grocers have at least 800 square meters of total sales area and sell electrical and electronic equipment several times a year or permanently, they are legally obliged to take them back.

The conditions to which the return is linked are important for customers. Electrical devices with an edge length of less than 25 centimeters must be taken back free of charge and without the purchase of a new device. The following applies to large electronic waste: the dealer must only take them back if a new device with a similar function is purchased. Customers must be informed of these new possibilities by means of notices.

Lidl, Kaufland & Co. must take back electronic waste: change in July for customers

And that seems to be a problem right now. As the German Environmental Aid (DUH) writes in a press release dated June 3, a survey of supermarkets and pharmacies has shown that many take-back and recycling concepts for e-waste are still insufficient. .

“A return to the supermarket checkout, as planned at Aldi Süd, will put pressure on customers. Stressful and unpleasant situations on return are inevitable. Even a sign, as planned by Lidl, does not sufficiently inform customers about their return rights,” explains Barbara Metz, Federal Director General of the DUH.

The DUH therefore calls on supermarkets and discounters to provide customers with detailed information on the possible return of electronic waste and to develop consumer-friendly return concepts. The target would be good: the target is to increase the low collection rate for waste electrical equipment by 44.1% in 2020 – the legal requirement is 65%.

Lidl and Kaufland: Change is coming in 2022 – customers have that right

First report of December 16, 2021: The turning point of the year is fast approaching – 2021 will become 2022, and with the new year there will also be new rules for Germany. Supermarkets and discounters are also affected. The Schwarz group, based in Neckarsulm, with its subsidiaries Lidl and Kaufland, is not spared by this: there too, a very important regulation will change in 2022, which can bring relief to customers.

Because food retailers like supermarket giant Kaufland often also sell mobile phones, computers, televisions and kitchen appliances. Therefore, from January 1, 2022, they will also have to take back old devices. A new law comes into force to this effect. But who should accept all electronic waste and which devices can be returned?

First of all, every dealer who offers electronic devices several times a year must also take back old devices in the future. In addition to Lidl and Kaufland, Rewe, Edeka and Netto are also affected. However, stores that do not regularly offer electrical appliances are also required to accept electronic waste under certain conditions from 1 January 2022 – the condition is that their store area is greater than 800 square meters.

Appliances that can be handed over to discounters and supermarkets such as Lidl and Kaufland from January include light bulbs, toasters, coffee machines, blenders and smartphones – but small appliances must not exceed 25 centimeters . ruhr24.de indicates to what extent Aldi, Edeka and Rewe will offer the new service in the future*.

Change of rules in 2022 at Kaufland and Lidl – e-tailers will also have an obligation from 2022

And online retailers should also take on more responsibility from 2022, as they too should offer their customers a free collection and disposal service for old devices whenever they buy new electronics. But this procedure is already no longer unusual, especially in online trading – for example, offers otto.de already offers a pick-up service for old devices.

But why does this new regulation now apply to the whole of Germany? The Federal Ministry of the Environment justifies this as follows: It is assumed that the recycling rate in Germany will increase significantly due to the new collection and collection service. According to former environment minister Svenja Schulze, old appliances ended up in the basement, garage or drawers.

New regulations from 2022: why customers can now return their old devices

But what’s even worse: electronic waste often simply ends up in the residual waste bin. This should be avoided in the future by the new old device regulation 2022. As Schulze explains, easily accessible collection points are “the best way to dispose of old electronic devices properly. If old devices are properly collected, pollutants can be reliably disposed of and valuable raw materials can be recovered.

This is why the federal government wants to make it as easy as possible for consumers to return old electronic devices. All discounters and supermarkets – including Lidl and Kaufland – will receive a uniform label when the new law comes into force. The crossed-out trash can is already used by electronics retailers such as Media Markt and Saturn.

Kaufland and Lidl: The Schwarz Group changes – everything changes

However, customers of Lidl, Kaufland and Co. may still have to be patient – because the change in the law on the return of old appliances, which is to apply from January 2022, will have a transitional period. . This allows discounters and supermarkets to calmly develop their take-back system. By July 1, 2022 at the latest, each of these shops will finally have to take back the electronic devices free of charge.

But the return of electronic devices is not the only change for 2022. Since Monday there is also a new ban at Lidl, Kaufland and Co. This concerns plastic bags, some of which are no longer allowed to be sold. But how mannheim24.de*reported, there are also exceptions to the plastic bag ban.

Incidentally, Kaufland and Lidl have set their own targets for 2022. First of all, the Schwarz Group, based in Neckarsulm, wants to continue working on its sustainability goals, but there is also a lot to happen in terms of good – to be animal. Not only Lidl and Kaufland want to do without fresh meat from breeding level 1 from 2022 – Lidl announced another measure at the “Lidl Animal Welfare Dialogue in Berlin” to support German pig farmers. Kaufland has now also followed the so-called 5xD rule. *echo24.de, mannheim24.de and ruhr24.de are offers from IPPEN.MEDIA.