Every month, a truck full of electrical waste – refrigerators, washing machines and smaller equipment – leaves Horoušany near Prague. “There are a lot of 25 televisions, about ten monitors, radios and other things,” explains Josef Veselý, an employee of the collection yard. They can be used, for example, aluminum or precious metals and other materials.
But now it can be more complicated with electronics from Samsung. Asekol stops taking them. Competitive Rema has a contract with this Korean brand and Asekol pays for it. “After August 1, we will do another collection of products, regardless of brand, and then we will no longer ship Samsung brand products,” says Daniel Šafář, Asekol’s sales director.
“We are willing – and we declare to the municipalities – to help in the collection, which was terminated by the company Asekol,” says the company spokeswoman Rema Pavlína Sporková. According to the Union of Towns and Municipalities, however, Rema has not yet cooperated with most collection yards and the dispute may take months.
According to Pavel Drahovzal, vice-president of the Union of Towns and Municipalities, the Czech Republic was one of the best European countries in terms of electrical waste management. “And now there’s a lot of uncertainty about what will happen to sorted TVs and computer monitors,” he points out.
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The year before, 93,000 tons of electrical appliances were collected, ie over half of what was sold. Ten years ago it was about a third. The Ministry of the Environment wants a guarantee that the collection will continue.
“That a person who buys a particular brand can really count on it. After all, it is worthwhile in the price of the product that the take-back will take place without having to look for it in any way, “emphasizes the Minister of the Environment Richard Brabec (YES).
The ministry will negotiate with the companies next week. According to the association of municipalities, the point is that the system under construction will not disintegrate for fifteen years and that electronics will not end up in landfills or in nature.
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