This time I would like to point your attention to the German meticulousness. Yes, many Germans like to be meticulous, especially jurists and lawyers.

So get this: The famous German sports brand adidas invented a running shoe with a very special heel cushioning; electronically controlled heel cushioning.

Okay … astounding, I thought. But the article that I came across was not dealing with the electronically controlled cushioning, but with a law suit in front of the Federal Administrative Court of Germany (Bundesverwaltungsgericht). Adidas was accused that this running shoe is - after its lifetime - “Electronic Waste”.

Don’t think in American trash-categories, please. Many things can't be thrown away without considerations or into a regular trash can in Germany.
So if something is declared as “Electronic Waste” in Germany, this is pretty significant.
There is a German law that trash that falls into this category is to be collected separately, and the producer of a certain product that will become “Electronic Waste” one day, has to take back the trashed, old product and pay for the adequate disposal.

You can imagine that some old running shoes create just a little effort; it is a bigger deal with big electronic products of course. And there are also administration efforts involved even before the trashing begins: Products that will become “Electronic Waste” have to be registered.

The “Electric Appliance Foundation” (amusing what kind of foundations Germany has to offer!) argued that the mentioned running shoe with this electronic chushioning system is not just a shoe, it is a piece of sports equipment.
It sounds logic that bigger pieces of sports equipment (e. g. tread mills) might fall into the category of “Electronic Waste” some day.
Is the same true for electronically equipped running shoes?


Very interesting with what kind of argument adidas was able to convice the court to rule in its favor: Adidas argued that even if the electronic cushioning system fails, you can still use the shoe as a running shoe. So it is a shoe afterall, not an electronic piece of equipment.
Kind of logic as well, but very surprising that this seemed to convice the court.

The court added in its verdict that lawmakers purposely left out apparel while creating the laws for “Electronic Waste and Electronic Equipment”. Even if apparel is made fancy with some electronics, clothing is (so far) not designated to end as “Eletronic Waste”.

… so just throw these sneakers away after you are done with them.

But what happens if adidas is coming up with some environmentally friendly thoughts and invents the electronical part as a recyclable and replacable module inside running shoes? Then the story might be picked up again or will lead to a new court case.