Online marketplaces including Amazon and eBay must now report electronics sold to UK consumers under new recycling rules that came into effect on Tuesday, as PA Media reports. The regulations aim to ensure foreign companies share the burden of recycling costs that domestic firms already shoulder.
UK retailers such as Currys, Argos, Apple Retail UK, Tesco and Microsoft currently contribute to an Environment Agency fund for collecting and treating products like washing machines, radios and vacuum cleaners. However, foreign companies selling electronics to British shoppers via online platforms have previously avoided this expense.
New reporting requirements
The firms must now register with the Environment Agency and report sales of household electrical products made by sellers in the UK, according to PA Media. This data will calculate the amount recycling companies must finance annually, with online platforms starting payments from January 2026.
The Environment Department (Defra) confirmed the funds will improve recycling of items collected by local authorities and drive investments in waste services and infrastructure.
Vapes get separate category
Vapes will no longer be classified with "toys, leisure and sports equipment" but instead recognised in a new electrical waste category from Tuesday. Ministers said this ensures vape suppliers finance the disposal and treatment of their products as waste.
Scott Butler, executive director of circular economy campaign group Material Focus, said: "We welcome the new vape category announced today, which provides a further opportunity to tighten up the environmental enforcement of vapes. By understanding how many vapes are being sold, Defra can set targets to ensure that vape producers make their fair contribution to the costs of recycling these products."
Government and industry response
Environment minister Mary Creagh said the new rules aim to "level the playing field" for British businesses already shouldering costs and at a disadvantage to online rivals based abroad, as PA Media reports. More widely, the regulations are hoped to support Government ambitions to tackle the country's throwaway culture and the growing amount of waste littering communities, nature and the oceans.
Ms Creagh said: "We are committed to moving towards a circular economy in which we keep electricals from laptops to toasters in use for longer. Ensuring online marketplaces pay their share for managing the cost of the electrical waste they generate will increase recycling and level the playing field for UK-based retailers, boosting growth and making the system fairer."
Paula Coughlan, chief people, communications and sustainability officer at Currys, said: "It is important that the responsibility to safely dispose of electronic waste is shared fairly, and we're pleased the Government has listened to us and other industry leaders. We believe with the right skills and infrastructure in place, the UK can build a thriving circular economy - enabling lasting and sustainable change."
Amazon welcomes changes
John Boumphrey, UK country manager at Amazon, said: "We welcome the Government's focus in this critical area and look forward to continuing our work with the Circular Economy Taskforce to drive further innovation, supporting the UK's transition to a more circular economy. We believe retailers have an important role to play in reducing waste, which is why we prioritise reselling, refurbishing, donating or recycling products wherever possible."
Wider environmental context
E-waste represents the fastest-growing waste stream globally according to UN data, whilst Material Focus estimates show more than 100,000 tonnes of electricals are binned across the UK annually, PA Media reports. The new rules form part of wider government efforts to create a circular economy keeping electricals in use longer.
Ministers have convened a taskforce of experts to help develop a circular economy strategy for England, which will include a roadmap to increase the reuse and recycling of electrical equipment.
Sources used: "PA Media" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
