Taiwan’s top environmental authorities yesterday announced a new policy effective Friday, July 1, allowing consumers to request any seller of electronics to recycle their old electronic appliances (TVs, washing machines, refrigerators, and air conditioners/ heaters) “regardless of brand and quantity” once they buy new ones from the seller.
The Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) under the Executive Yuan said the new rule will increase the transparency of the recycling process in order to achieve a better recycling rate,
Shen Shu-hung (???), Minister of EPA, met with various department store representatives and chain store owners, such as Carrefour, RT-Mart, Tsann-kuen, B&Q, SANYO, A. mart, etc., early yesterday to push for comprehensive cooperation from the enterprises as the implementation of the policy is around the corner. Shen stated that the recycling rate has already risen from 29 percent in 2000 to 51 percent in 2010 thanks to a program promoting the recycling of four types of household appliances (TVs, washing machines, refrigerators, air conditioners/ heaters) that was brought into practice in 1997. “Despite the significant results of the old policy , there is still room for improvement,” according to Shen.
“The new policy eliminates the limits and boundaries of different brands and quantities,” explained Ma Nien-he (???), executive secretary of EPA’s Recycling Fund Management Board (?????????????) yesterday, “for example: if a customer buys a new TV, he can require the seller to handle the recycling of the customers’ old refrigerator or/and old washing machine upon delivery of the new TV without additional charges. The company cannot refuse such request.”
However, this new rule only requires companies selling new appliances to provide the free recycling service, meaning that customers can only ask a company to recycle their old appliances if they have bought new ones from the company. The policy also only covers the recycling of household appliances.
Ma elaborated on the new policy, saying that this free service only includes basic carriage and shipping. Other costs for repair will not be covered. Moreover, as recycling air conditioners and heaters requires substantial labor and more professional and intricate techniques, free services shall be legally required only when the new item bought is an air conditioner or a heater.
Source: The China Post