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Court forces Lidl, Ikea and Hornbach to withdraw electronic waste
Find out why Lidl, Ikea and Hornbach were obliged by courts to inform consumers about the free return of electronic waste when buying online. Deutsche Environmental Aid criticizes the lack of compliance with the legal obligations and requires better implementation of the electrical law. Read more about the decisive judgments and the effects on online retailers and the current state of electronic waste withdrawal in Germany.
Court forces Lidl, Ikea and Hornbach to withdraw electronic waste
In a groundbreaking judgment, several large online retailers had to finally pay attention to the laws! The German Environmental Aid (DUH) has sued the digital departments of Lidl, Ikea and Hornbach and now assured that when buying new electrical appliances, the return of old devices can no longer be ignored. The courts in Heilbronn, Frankfurt am Main and Landau in the Palatinate finally give consumers the right to return their old devices free of charge. A giant victory for environmental protection!
"It is a certificate of poverty," said the clear announcement by Barbara Metz, the federal manager of the DUH. The hard facts speak volumes: For over two years, the online giants have disregarded this legal obligation to be disregarded! However, the judgments are not yet final - but the pressure on companies is increasing!
Return obligation finally enforced!
The Landau Regional Court in the Palatinate left no doubt that it is insufficient to withdraw old electrical appliances only in the branches. The judges demand that when buying online, the old return option must be asked for a free return option for the old device. The reason? Consumers must have a choice whether they want to return their old device free of charge. Otherwise, dealers get unjustified advantages!
Thomas Fischer, the head of the DUH circular economy, found how dramatic the situation actually is: with a dangerously low collective rate of only about 30 percent, we are miles behind the legally intended 65 percent. In times of climate crisis and lack of raw materials, this is alarming!
The DUH therefore unequivocally demands improvements in the electrical law: "The online trade must comply with the query to withdraw electronic waste regardless of the size of the devices!" This is not only important, but necessary to ensure consumer -friendly withdrawal!
victory for environmental protection!
The recent decisions are not the first of their kind! According to the judgments against Obi, Globus, Poco, Pearl and Home24, there is now another signal shot against large online retailers. It shows that the DUH does not let up until the last online retailer also fulfills the legal requirements!
In summary: Online retailers must finally take their responsibility for the withdrawal and disposal of electrical appliances seriously. This is not only a question of competition, but also one that affects our environment! More and more consumers are asking for transparency and simple solutions for the disposal of their old devices - and that's a good thing!