Chinese NPO releases 2023 white paper on domestic WEEE industry 
On May 16, 2023, the Extended Producer Responsibility Technology and Innovation Alliance, a Chinese nonprofit organization, released a 2023 white paper on China’s waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) industry.
The white paper introduces the country’s latest policies for WEEE, such as the Action Plan to Promote the Replacement of Large Equipment and the Trade-in of Consumer Goods (document code: 国发 [2024] 7号), and related standards, such as the Specification on Recycled Plastics for Electric and Electronic Products (T/CAS 815-2024, T/ZGZS 0802-2024).
It also explains the development of China’s WEEE industry, including the trend of recycling through trade-in, promotion of recycling under the extended producer responsibility (EPR) scheme, and technology for integrating sales networks and recycling networks for home appliances.
Policies for WEEE (January 2023–April 2024)
- On Feb. 20, 2023, the National Development and Reform Commission and eight other government departments published the Guiding Opinions on Accelerating the Replacement and Upgrading of Products and Equipment in Key Sectors using the Integration of Energy Conservation, Carbon Emissions Reduction and Recycling (document code: 发改环资〔2023〕178号).
- On July 13, 2023, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and three other government departments published the 2023 National List of Advanced, Appropriate Processes, Technologies and Equipment for the Comprehensive Utilization of Industrial Resources1.
- On Nov. 13, 2023, the National Development and Reform Commission and four other government departments published the Opinions on the Expedited Establishment of Product Carbon Footprint Management Systems（document code: 发改环资〔2023〕1529号).
- On Dec. 20, 2023, the Ministry of Finance and other three government departments announced that contributions to the WEEE disposal fund would no longer be collected (Announcement No. 74 of 2023).
- On Dec. 29, 2023, the State Council announced an amendment of the Regulations on Ozone-depleting Substances (Decree No. 770 of the State Council).
- On Jan. 19, 2024, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment published the List of Solid Waste Categories and Codes (Ministry of Ecology and Environment Announcement No. 4 of 2024).
- On Jan. 24, 2024, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment published the Guidelines on the Publication of Information on Solid Waste Environmental Pollution Control (document code: 环办固体函〔2024〕37号).
- On Jan. 24, 2024, the Ministry of Commerce and eight other government departments announced the development of recycling systems for home appliances and other renewable resources (document code: 商流通发 [2024] 18号).
- On March 7, 2024, the State Council announced the Action Plan to Promote the Replacement of Large Equipment and the Trade-in of Consumer Goods (document code: 国发 [2024] 7号)
- On March 29, 2024, the Ministry of Finance published draft Measures on the Special Fund for Waste Electrical and Electronic Product Disposal2 to seek comments on the draft.
Latest standards for WEEE
- In January 2024, the China Association for Standardization and the China Resource Recycling Association published an association standard called the Specification on Recycled Plastics for Electric and Electronic Products (T/CAS 815-2024, T/ZGZS 0802-2024).
- In March 2024, the China Association for Standardization published the following association standards:
- Electric and Electronic Industry — Technical Guidance for the Construction of Zero-waste Factory (T/CAS 824-2024)
- Electric and Electronic Industry — Requirements of Zero-waste Factory’s Assessment (T/CAS 825-2024)
- Electric and Electronic Industry — Technical Guidance for the Construction of Zero-waste Supply Chain (T/CAS 826-2024)
- Electric and Electronic Industry — Requirements of Zero-waste Supply Chain’s Assessment (T/CAS 827-2024)
Development of the WEEE recycling industry
Trade-in becoming the market standard
In many localities, the government and businesses led the promotion of the trade-in of consumer goods including home appliances under the Near-term Consumption Promotion and Encouragement Campaign3 introduced by the National Development and Reform Commission and other policies.
Promotion of EPR recycling
The recycling responsibility target scheme continued in 2023, led by the National Development and Reform Commission. Haier, GREE, TCL, Changhong, Midea and Hisense actively fulfilled this responsibility. These companies not only achieved the recycling targets, but actively developed recycling networks and recycling information platforms.
Better technology for the integration of sales and recycling networks
Technology for integrating sales networks and recycling networks for home appliances saw steady improvement.
Development of the WEEE disposal industry
The estimated (“theoretical”) quantity of WEEE kept increasing. In 2023, the estimated number of discarded products on the List of Waste Electrical and Electronic Products for Disposal4 was 260 million units, up 12% year-on-year.
According to research on the industry, in 2023, China’s WEEE disposal industry entered a new phase of development, and more than 90 million units of WEEE in total were disassembled and disposed of in the industry for the first time thanks to multiple government measures.
The full white paper (in Chinese) is available at
http://www.weee-epr.com/article/detail_1355.html.
1 国家工业资源综合利用先进适用工艺技术设备目录 (2023年版)
2 废弃电器电子产品处理专项资金管理办法
3 做好近期促进鼓励消费工作
4 废弃电器电子产品处理目录
