The new bill was presented by the Ministry for the Environment last week. Every supermarket over 1,500 square metres will have to offer a drive in recycling centre on site. ULC president Nico Hoffmann thinks this is a good idea.
"This seems like a win-win situation, combining the shopping experience with waste disposal, which is a net positive from an ecological standpoint."
The project will also create new jobs, potentially offering a chance to disabled or socially disadvantaged people. The pilot project on Howald, which has existed for ten years, was contested by a study made by Valorlux and Ecoconseil. But the ULC deems it a success, referring also to similar projects abroad that work really well.
The new law also drew criticism, however. According to Reporter.lu, Superdreckskëscht operator Oeko-Service had already been contracted to run these new centres in 2018, long before the bill, raising questions whether the government was privileging the company. Carole Dieschbourg, Minister for the Environment, said last week that an audit of the operation should be ready in two months.
Nico Hoffmann does not think consumers are being disadvantaged, however. Without wanting to anticipate the audit, he does think based on talks the ULC had with the Superdreckskëscht, that they are particularly well positioned to fulfil the new contract. Having worked with them for 21 years, the ULC cannot fault the work done by the company.
