A new bill by environment minister Barbara Hendricks (SPD) wants to oblige businesses in the future to take back old electrical appliances when buying an equivalent new device. The federal government plans to use the reform of the Electric Act to recycle more valuable metals from old devices such as cell phones, toasters or modems.
The new redemption obligation is to apply to transactions with more than 400 square meters of retail space and also to online retailers. On Wednesday, the cabinet wants to decide on the draft.
Small devices with a maximum of 25 centimeters edge length such as mobile phones or chargers can be delivered without a new purchase. Consumers do not have to cancel the receipt. So far, the return of old equipment based on voluntarism of dealers. In the residual waste bin, they must not be disposed of, because they contain not only valuable raw materials such as rare earths, but also pollutants. In no other EU country As much electronic waste is produced as in Germany.
The new law also aims to strengthen the environmentally sound disposal of pollutants and to stem the illegal export of electronic waste abroad.
Alba, one of the largest recycling companies in Germany, welcomed the new take-back obligation for retailers. “We expect that the new return options will mean that more old devices will end up in recycling instead of in the residual waste bin,” said a spokeswoman. In this way, important recyclable materials could be secured.
Greens criticize design as "half-hearted"
Greens boss Simone Peter criticized the planned new regulation as half-hearted: “The restriction of the take-back obligation to a few large stores significantly limits the benefits for consumers,” said Peter. Many electronic devices would probably end up in the trash. Overall, the reform is going in the right direction, said the Green leader. After all, around 700.000 tons of electronic waste were generated in Germany each year.
Source: http://www.zeit.de/politik/deutschland/2015-03/elektro-gesetz-elektroschrott-barbara-hendricks-recycling
