Because of the emergence of new products on the market and the increasing diversity of product types, for proper recycling, clearance, and disposal of discarded home appliances the EPA announced that the recycling scope for refrigerators and washing machines was expanded starting from 1 March 2022 in order to ensure that waste products enter the recycling system and to prevent environmental pollution caused by improper dismantling.

The EPA stated that in response to the emergence of new products and the increasing diversity of types of home appliances on the market, the EPA had amended the announced items in the Scopes for the Articles and the Packaging and Containers Thereof and the Enterprises Responsible for Recycling, Clearance, and Disposal, so as to address the public’s recycling needs.

The definition of refrigerators has been adjusted in this amendment, primarily considering that freezers or freezerless refrigerators are now commonly used in households. As such, freezer-only or freezerless refrigerators are both classified as electric refrigerators, and in reference to the definition given by CNS (National Standards of the Republic of China), "refrigerator” and “ice bucket" have been renamed as "freezer, refrigerator, refrigerator with freezer or electric refrigerator.” However, the recycling scope explicitly excluded walk-in, open-style, cabinet, display, and workbench refrigerators and those for biomedical use. Since large-capacity washing machines have become the market's mainstream, the recycling scope was also expanded to cover those with a laundry capacity of 6 to 25 kg of dry clothes.

Through this amendment, the recycling scopes of refrigerators and washing machines have been adjusted to align with the current status of waste products. The public is reminded that when purchasing new television sets, washing machines, refrigerators, air conditioners and heaters, old units matching the newly purchased appliances’ type, quantity, time and delivery address can be handed over to the vendors to be recycled free of charge. Another option is to contact cleaning squads and arrange a time and place to have old appliances transported away. Yet another option is to inquire about contact information of recyclers, consulting services or other pertinent issues by calling the EPA Resource Recycling Hotline 0800-085717 and the Resource Recycling Network, and then send the old appliances into the recycling system.

Excerpt from Major Environmental Policies, March 2022 Go Back