The enabling legislation for the Producer Responsibility Scheme on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WPRS), namely the Promotion of Recycling and Proper Disposal (Electrical Equipment and Electronic Equipment) (Amendment) Ordinance 2016 was passed by the Legislative Council in March 2016, whereas the Product Eco-Responsibility (Regulated Electrical Equipment) Regulation providing for certain operational matters relating to suppliers and sellers of regulated electrical equipment (REE), was enacted in July 2017.
Key regulatory measures of the WPRS include -
The WPRS has been fully implemented in phases in 2018 –
From 1 August 2018, a supplier of REE must have been registered with the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) before distributing REE. Registered suppliers must also fulfil other statutory obligations, including the submission of returns to the EPD and payment of recycling levies, as well as providing recycling labels when distributing REE. For details of application for registration as registered suppliers, please click here.
From 1 August 2018, a seller must have a removal service plan endorsed by the EPD for selling REE. When a seller sells REE and if requested by the consumer, the seller should arrange for the consumer a free removal service to dispose of the same class of equipment abandoned by the consumer in accordance with the endorsed plan. The seller must also provide recycling labels to consumers purchasing REE, and a receipt containing the prescribed wording on the recycling levies. For details of application for endorsement of removal service plan, please click here.
The disposal licensing control, import and export permit control and landfill disposal ban in respect of abandoned REE has commenced on 31 December 2018. Any person who is engaged in the storage, treatment, reprocessing or recycling of abandoned REE must obtain a waste disposal licence; a permit is required for the import and export of abandoned REE; and abandoned REE is no longer be accepted for disposal at the landfills and other designated waste disposal facilities (e.g. refuse transfer stations). For details of the relevant licensing and permit control, please click here.