About 2,400 used alliances slated for recycling have been misplaced by Two Best Denki Co. electronics stores in Saitama Prefecture, government officials said Monday.
The two stores, run by Geo Global in Sayama and Fukaya under a franchise contract with the discount store operator Best Denki, is suspected of breaking the law requiring the recycling of electric and electronics goods, the officials said.
The appliances, including refrigerators and TV sets, were collected for a fee from the customers. The stores failed to take the next legally mandated step of delivering them to the manufacturers for recycling because they lost track of them. The stores, which collected 8.2 million yen in recycling fees for picking up the 2,400 appliances, said they plan to refund the money.