Disposal of electrical and electronic waste
Do you produce, sell or import electrical and electronic devices in the Netherlands? Or do you process electrical waste (e-waste) or export discarded electrical equipment from the Netherlands? Then you are responsible for managing these devices up to and including the waste phase. This is producer responsibility.
Producer responsibility requirements
You must comply with the regulations, for instance, you must make sure that:
- devices have a 'KCA symbol' (crossed-out wheeled bin);
- devices do not contain hazardous substances such as lead, mercury and cadmium.
You can take part in a collective collection system. You should sign up for this. You are legally required to register with the National (W)EEE Register. You must report annually the previous year's quantity of electrical appliances and energy saving light bulbs to the Register that you have put on the market, exported, collected or processed. There are several collective collection systems in the Netherlands, these are listed in the National (W)EEE Register.
Please note: The technical requirements that the Netherlands sets for electrical and electronic devices differ from those of other EU Member States. Has an electrical or electronic device already been permitted in another EU Member State? Then the government can only prohibit its sale in the Netherlands in exceptional cases.
Recycling contribution for white goods, brown goods and light bulbs
The recycling contribution must be included in the price of (large and small) white and brown goods (TVs, refrigerators, washing machines, microwaves). You are not allowed to add this contribution on top of the (retail) price.
Collecting discarded appliances
Do you, as a retailer, you sell a new appliance? You must collect comparable appliances discarded by customers free of charge. This also applies to energy-sufficient light bulbs. Web shops are also required to do this.
Collection point waste electrical and electronic equipment
If you supply electrical and electronic equipment and your store's floor space exceeds 400 m2, you must have a collection point for waste electrical and electronic equipment. Consumers can return their waste appliances free of charge, without being obliged to buy a new equivalent item at your store.
Extended producer reponsibility
Recycling and waste management are priority topics for the EU, and the coming years will see a shift towards extended producer responsibility and recycling of waste. You can find more information on these ambitions on the Rijkswaterstaat Environment website.