Encourage Diversified Development: Recycling of Waste Electronic Products

Starting from yesterday, the “Administrative Measures for the Recycling of Waste Electrical and Electronic Products (Draft for Soliciting Opinions)” (hereinafter referred to as the “Administrative Measures”) drafted by the Ministry of Commerce solicited opinions from the public, encouraged the diversification of the recycling subjects of electrical and electronic products, and supported producers and sellers. Maintenance organizations, after-sales service agencies, main bodies for the recovery of discarded electrical and electronic products, and waste electrical and electronic product processing companies are engaged in the recycling of waste electrical and electronic products.

The management measures also stipulates that the State shall implement the filing management system for the recycling of waste electrical and electronic products. The entity engaged in the recycling of waste electrical and electronic equipment shall, within 30 days after obtaining the business license, register with the competent commercial authority at the same level of registration in accordance with the principle of territorial management. It also emphasized that the recycling subject of waste electrical and electronic products should establish a traceability system for recycling and delivery records.

According to industry insiders, China has entered the peak period for the retirement of electrical and electronic products. At least 15 million home appliances and tens of millions of mobile phones need to be eliminated each year. By 2020, the number of scrapped electronic products will reach 137 million units each year. According to reports, in order to better promote the development of the recycling industry for waste electrical and electronic products, in October last year, the State Council issued the “Opinions on the Establishment of a Complete and Advanced Waste and Recycling System”, which proposed that all main types of waste will be used by 2015. The recovery rate of commodities reached 70%, and special funds such as support for the development of large enterprises and the establishment of a special waste electronic product disposal fund were supported. Starting from July 1 this year, China has also adopted the Waste Electrical and Electronic Products Processing Fund to promote the industrialization mechanism of the recycling of electrical and electronic products in accordance with the Administrative Measures for the Collection and Use of Waste Electrical and Electronic Products Processing Funds.