Taiwan Increases Recycling Fees for Electronics

On August 5, 2026, Taiwan’s Ministry of Environment (MOE) announced amendments to the Fee Rates for Article Collection, Removal, and Treatment, which regulates recycling fees (collection, removal, and treatment fees) payable by manufacturers and importers of designated products.

The amended announcement increases recycling fees for various electronic products, including televisions under 27 inches, laptops, tablet computers, displays, motherboards, and hard disk drives (HDDs). Fee increases for laptops will be phased in over three stages, while those for tablet computers will be implemented in two stages.

Discounted “green rates” apply to products certified under the Green Mark program. Additionally, a 15% fee reduction under the green rate structure will be granted to products containing recycled plastics—defined as items containing at least 25% post-consumer recycled plastic by weight that pass review by the central competent authority. Green rates for recycled plastic products will officially take effect on January 1, 2027.

Revised Recycling Fee Schedules for Key Electronics

In the amended announcement, recycling fees for electronic products—including televisions under 27 inches, laptops, tablet computers, displays, motherboards, hard disk drives (HDDs), and other IT equipment—have been raised.

Incentive policies are provided for products that have obtained the Green Mark (環保標章), making eligible items subject to discounted “green rates.” Green rates also apply to “products using recycled plastic materials” (defined as items with at least 25% added post-consumer recycled plastic by weight that meet statutory criteria following review by the central competent authority), offering a 15% discount off standard rates. Furthermore, fee increases will be implemented in 3 phased stages for laptops and 2 phased stages for tablet computers. The table below outlines the recycling fees for selected product categories covered in the announcement.

Note: Rates are in NT$ [New Taiwan Dollars]. For other products listed in the announcement, refer to the official source link.

Scope of Regulated Products

The designated product categories governed by this fee rate announcement include:

• Tires
• Televisions
• Refrigerators
• Washing machines
• Air conditioners
• Electric fans
• Computers (laptops and tablets)
• Displays
• Motherboards
• Hard disk drives (HDDs)
• Computer cases (enclosures)
• Power supplies
• Printers (inkjet, laser, and dot matrix)
• Keyboards

Technical Calculation Rule for Recycled Plastic Content

To qualify for the green rate discount requiring “at least 25% added recycled plastic content,” the calculation methodology (based on previous official guidance from the Environmental Protection Administration, now the Ministry of Environment) is strictly weight-based:

1. 1. Multiply the percentage of added recycled plastic in each individual plastic component by the weight of that component.
2. Sum these values across all plastic components.
3. Divide the sum by the total weight of all plastic components in the product.
4. The resulting total recycled plastic percentage must reach 25% or higher by weight.

Note: Non-plastic components within the product are excluded from this calculation principle.

EnviX’s Comment

On July 15, 2026, the Waste Disposal Act, which serves as the legal authorization for the above-mentioned announcement Fee Rates for Article Collection, Removal, and Treatment, was amended. Articles 15 through 16 of the Act govern the mandatory duties to be fulfilled by enterprises responsible for the collection, removal, and treatment of “recyclable waste” designated by the central competent authority (hereinafter referred to as “responsible enterprises”). Under the OLD LAW, only manufacturers and importers were designated as “responsible enterprises”; however, the amended law explicitly adds distributors and retailers to the scope of “responsible enterprises,” clarifying that sellers also bear Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). Following this legislative amendment, businesses selling the aforementioned electronic products locally in Taiwan will also be subject to statutory obligations, such as paying recycling fees (collection, removal, and treatment fees). For an overview of the amendment to the Waste Disposal Act, please refer to the “Related Articles” section below.

※ Relevant regulations specifying products subject to recycling fee payments (such as Scope of Articles or Their Packaging/Containers and Responsible Enterprises Obligated to Conduct Collection, Removal, and Treatment, among others) are also expected to be amended in the future based on the aforementioned amended law.

Reference Link

The original Chinese text of the Fee Rates for Article Collection, Removal, and Treatment is available at:
https://oaout.moenv.gov.tw/Law/LawContent.aspx?id=GL006211