On October 27, 2026, the General Office of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment issued the Letter on Public Consultation on the Regulations on the Administration of the Recycling and Treatment of Waste Electrical and Electronic Products (Revised Draft for Public Comment) and the Measures for the Administration of Hazardous Waste Business Licenses (Revised Draft for Public Comment) (MEE General Office Letter [2026] No. 360), soliciting public comments. The deadline for comments is November 25, 2026. The two revised drafts were released on the same day, sending a clear signal that the regulatory framework for solid waste is being updated at an accelerated pace. The recycled resources recovery and utilization industry, in particular, should pay close attention.

The Revised Draft for Public Comment of the Regulations on the Administration of the Recycling and Treatment of Waste Electrical and Electronic Products provides as follows:

Article 11. Producers of electrical and electronic products shall, in accordance with national requirements, establish and make public a waste-product take-back system commensurate with the sales volume of their products, either by themselves or by engaging sellers, repair organizations, after-sales service organizations, waste electrical and electronic product recycling operators, or other parties, and shall fulfill their responsibilities for recycling and utilization. Sellers, repair organizations, and after-sales service organizations of electrical and electronic products shall post information on the recycling and treatment of waste electrical and electronic products in a prominent place at their business premises. Recycled waste electrical and electronic products shall be treated by enterprises qualified to treat waste electrical and electronic products.

Article 12. Waste electrical and electronic product recycling operators shall provide users of electrical and electronic products with convenient and efficient recycling services through a variety of means. Where a waste electrical and electronic product recycling operator treats the waste electrical and electronic products it has collected, it shall obtain the qualification for treating waste electrical and electronic products in accordance with these Regulations. If it has not obtained the qualification, it shall deliver the collected waste electrical and electronic products to an enterprise qualified to treat such products. Where collected electrical and electronic products are repaired and then sold, they must meet the mandatory requirements of national technical specifications for the protection of human health and personal and property safety, and be prominently labeled as used goods. Specific administrative measures shall be formulated by the commerce department of the State Council.

Article 14. The State encourages treatment enterprises to establish long-term cooperative relationships with relevant producers and sellers of electrical and electronic products, waste electrical and electronic product recycling operators, and other parties, and to recycle and treat waste electrical and electronic products.

Article 16. Treatment enterprises shall establish an ecological and environmental monitoring system for the treatment of waste electrical and electronic products in accordance with the law.

Article 17. Treatment enterprises shall establish a data and information management system for waste electrical and electronic products and report basic data and relevant information on their treatment to the ecological and environmental authority of the people’s government of the city divided into districts where they are located. Basic data on the treatment of waste electrical and electronic products shall be retained for at least three years. Where laws or administrative regulations provide otherwise, those provisions shall prevail.

Article 25. The ecological and environmental authorities of local people’s governments at or above the county level shall strengthen supervision and inspection of activities involving the treatment of waste electrical and electronic products through written reviews, on-site inspections, and other means.

Article 28. Where a producer of electrical and electronic products fails to establish and make public a waste-product take-back system commensurate with the sales volume of its products as required by these Regulations, the competent departments for industry and information technology, commerce, and other relevant fields shall, according to their respective responsibilities, order it to rectify the violation. If it refuses to do so, it shall be fined not less than RMB 50,000 but not more than RMB 500,000.

Article 29. Where a party engages in the treatment of waste electrical and electronic products without authorization and without having obtained the required qualification, in violation of these Regulations, the ecological and environmental authority of the people’s government at or above the county level shall order it to suspend operations or close down, confiscate its illegal gains, and impose a fine of not less than RMB 50,000 but not more than RMB 500,000.

Where a qualification certificate for the treatment of waste electrical and electronic products is altered, resold, leased, lent, or otherwise illegally transferred, the ecological and environmental authority shall order the party to cease the illegal conduct, impose a fine of not less than RMB 50,000 but not more than RMB 100,000, and revoke the qualification certificate for the treatment of waste electrical and electronic products.

Article 30. Where waste electrical and electronic products are treated using outdated dismantling and processing technologies, processes, or equipment that the State has expressly eliminated or that do not meet ecological and environmental protection requirements, in violation of these Regulations, the ecological and environmental authority of the people’s government at or above the county level shall order rectification, confiscate illegal gains, and impose a fine of not less than one times but not more than five times the value of the goods. If the circumstances are serious, it shall, subject to approval by the people’s government with the authority to approve, order suspension of operations or closure.

Where waste electrical and electronic products are treated in a manner not covered by the preceding paragraph and contrary to the requirements of the qualification certificate for the treatment of waste electrical and electronic products, in violation of these Regulations, the ecological and environmental authority shall order the party to cease the illegal conduct and impose a fine of not less than RMB 50,000 but not more than RMB 100,000. If the circumstances are serious, it shall impose a fine of not less than RMB 100,000 but not more than RMB 200,000 and revoke the qualification certificate for the treatment of waste electrical and electronic products.

Article 32. Where a treatment enterprise fails to establish a data and information management system for waste electrical and electronic products, fails to report basic data and relevant information as required, reports inaccurate basic data or information, or fails to retain basic data for the prescribed period, in violation of these Regulations, the ecological and environmental authority of the people’s government of the city divided into districts where it is located shall order it to rectify the violation within a specified time limit and may impose a fine of up to RMB 50,000. Where laws or administrative regulations provide otherwise for penalties, those provisions shall prevail.

Article 34. Where a staff member of a relevant administrative authority abuses their powers, neglects their duties, or engages in favoritism, and the conduct constitutes a crime, criminal liability shall be pursued in accordance with the law. Where it does not constitute a crime, the staff member shall be subject to disciplinary action in accordance with the law.

Regulations on the Administration of the Recycling and Treatment of Waste Electrical and Electronic Products

(Revised Draft for Public Comment)

Chapter I General Provisions

Article 1. These Regulations are formulated in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Ecological and Environmental Code of the People’s Republic of China to regulate the recycling and treatment of waste electrical and electronic products, promote the comprehensive utilization of resources and the development of a circular economy, protect the ecological environment, and safeguard human health.

Article 2. For the purposes of these Regulations, “treatment” of waste electrical and electronic products means dismantling such products to extract substances for use as raw materials or fuel; reducing the quantity of waste electrical and electronic products already generated, or reducing or eliminating their hazardous components, by changing their physical or chemical properties; and finally placing them in landfills that meet ecological and environmental protection requirements. Treatment does not include the repair or refurbishment of products, or their reuse as used goods after repair or refurbishment.

Article 3. These Regulations apply to the recycling and treatment of waste electrical and electronic products included in the Catalogue of Waste Electrical and Electronic Products to Be Treated (the “Catalogue”) and related activities. The competent department of the State Council for comprehensive utilization of resources shall, together with the competent departments of the State Council for ecology and environment, industry and information technology, and other relevant fields, formulate and adjust the Catalogue, which shall be implemented after approval by the State Council.

Article 4. The ecological and environmental authority of the State Council, together with the competent departments of the State Council for comprehensive utilization of resources and industry and information technology, shall be responsible for organizing the formulation of policy measures for the recycling and treatment of waste electrical and electronic products and coordinating their implementation, and for supervising and administering the treatment of such products. The commerce department of the State Council shall be responsible for administering their recycling. The competent departments of the State Council for finance, market regulation, taxation, customs, and other relevant fields shall be responsible for related administration within the scope of their respective duties.

Article 5. The State shall implement a system of multi-channel recycling and centralized treatment of waste electrical and electronic products.

Article 6. The State shall implement a qualification licensing system for the treatment of waste electrical and electronic products. The ecological and environmental authority of the people’s government of a city divided into districts shall approve the qualifications of enterprises treating waste electrical and electronic products (hereinafter referred to as “treatment enterprises”).

Article 7. The State shall establish a fund for the treatment of waste electrical and electronic products to subsidize the costs of recycling and treating such products. Producers of electrical and electronic products, and consignees or their agents importing electrical and electronic products, shall fulfill their obligations to contribute to the fund for the treatment of waste electrical and electronic products in accordance with the relevant provisions.

The fund for the treatment of waste electrical and electronic products shall be subject to budget management. The specific measures for its collection, use, and administration shall be formulated by the finance department of the State Council together with the competent departments of the State Council for ecology and environment, comprehensive utilization of resources, and industry and information technology, and shall take effect upon approval by the State Council.

When formulating the collection and subsidy rates for the fund for the treatment of waste electrical and electronic products, the views of electrical and electronic product manufacturers, treatment enterprises, relevant industry associations, and experts shall be fully solicited.

Article 8. The State encourages and supports scientific research and technology development related to the treatment of waste electrical and electronic products, research on relevant technical standards, and the demonstration, promotion, and application of new technologies, processes, and equipment.

Article 9. Waste electrical and electronic products whose import is prohibited by the State shall not be imported.

Chapter II Responsibilities of Relevant Parties

Article 10. Electrical and electronic products produced or imported by producers of electrical and electronic products, or by consignees or their agents importing such products, shall comply with the relevant national provisions on pollution control for electrical and electronic products. Their design shall facilitate comprehensive resource utilization and environmentally sound treatment, and they shall use materials that are non-toxic or harmless, low in toxicity or harmfulness, or easy to recycle and reuse. Information on the content of toxic or hazardous substances and notices on recycling and treatment shall be provided on the electrical and electronic products or in their instructions in accordance with the relevant provisions.

Article 11. Producers of electrical and electronic products shall, in accordance with national requirements, establish and make public a waste-product take-back system commensurate with the sales volume of their products, either by themselves or by engaging sellers, repair organizations, after-sales service organizations, waste electrical and electronic product recycling operators, or other parties, and shall fulfill their responsibilities for recycling and utilization. Sellers, repair organizations, and after-sales service organizations of electrical and electronic products shall post information on the recycling and treatment of waste electrical and electronic products in a prominent place at their business premises. Recycled waste electrical and electronic products shall be treated by enterprises qualified to treat waste electrical and electronic products.

Article 12. Waste electrical and electronic product recycling operators shall provide users of electrical and electronic products with convenient and efficient recycling services through a variety of means. Where a waste electrical and electronic product recycling operator treats the waste electrical and electronic products it has collected, it shall obtain the qualification for treating waste electrical and electronic products in accordance with these Regulations. If it has not obtained the qualification, it shall deliver the collected waste electrical and electronic products to an enterprise qualified to treat such products. Where collected electrical and electronic products are repaired and then sold, they must meet the mandatory requirements of national technical specifications for the protection of human health and personal and property safety, and be prominently labeled as used goods. Specific administrative measures shall be formulated by the commerce department of the State Council.

Article 13. Where government departments, public organizations, enterprises, or public institutions deliver waste electrical and electronic products to an enterprise qualified to treat such products, they shall complete asset write-off procedures in accordance with relevant national provisions. The treatment of waste electrical and electronic products involving state secrets shall be handled in accordance with national confidentiality provisions.

Article 14. The State encourages treatment enterprises to establish long-term cooperative relationships with relevant producers and sellers of electrical and electronic products, waste electrical and electronic product recycling operators, and other parties, and to recycle and treat waste electrical and electronic products.

Article 15. The treatment of waste electrical and electronic products shall comply with national requirements on comprehensive utilization of resources, ecological and environmental protection, workplace safety, and the protection of human health. It is prohibited to use outdated dismantling and processing technologies, processes, or equipment that the State has expressly eliminated or that do not meet ecological and environmental protection requirements to treat waste electrical and electronic products.

Article 16. Treatment enterprises shall establish an ecological and environmental monitoring system for the treatment of waste electrical and electronic products in accordance with the law.

Article 17. Treatment enterprises shall establish a data and information management system for waste electrical and electronic products and report basic data and relevant information on their treatment to the ecological and environmental authority of the people’s government of the city divided into districts where they are located. Basic data on the treatment of waste electrical and electronic products shall be retained for at least three years. Where laws or administrative regulations provide otherwise, those provisions shall prevail.

Article 18. Treatment enterprises shall enjoy tax incentives for treating waste electrical and electronic products in accordance with relevant national provisions.

Article 19. Entities and individuals engaged in the recycling, storage, transportation, or treatment of waste electrical and electronic products shall comply with national provisions on ecological and environmental protection and environmental sanitation management.

Chapter III Supervision and Administration

Article 20. The competent departments of the State Council for comprehensive utilization of resources, market regulation, ecology and environment, industry and information technology, and other relevant fields shall formulate relevant policies and technical specifications for the treatment of waste electrical and electronic products in accordance with their prescribed duties.

Article 21. The ecological and environmental authority of a provincial-level people’s government shall, together with the corresponding competent departments for comprehensive utilization of resources, commerce, industry and information technology, and other relevant fields, prepare a development plan for the treatment of waste electrical and electronic products in its region and submit it to the ecological and environmental authority of the State Council for the record. Local people’s governments shall incorporate the development of infrastructure for recycling and treating waste electrical and electronic products into urban and rural planning.

Article 22. Only enterprises that have obtained qualifications for treating waste electrical and electronic products, completed registration in accordance with the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on the Administration of Registration of Market Entities and other relevant provisions, and specified the treatment of waste electrical and electronic products in their business scope may engage in such treatment activities. Except as provided in Article 35 of these Regulations, entities and individuals that have not obtained the required qualifications are prohibited from treating waste electrical and electronic products.

Article 23. An applicant for qualification to treat waste electrical and electronic products shall meet the following conditions:

(1) It has complete facilities for treating waste electrical and electronic products; (2) It has an appropriate utilization or disposal plan for waste electrical and electronic products that cannot be fully treated;

(3) It has sorting, packaging, and other equipment appropriate to the waste electrical and electronic products to be treated;

(4) It has professional and technical personnel for relevant safety, quality, and ecological and environmental protection matters.

Article 24. An application for qualification to treat waste electrical and electronic products shall be submitted in writing to the ecological and environmental authority of the people’s government of the city divided into districts where the applicant is located, together with relevant supporting documents. The ecological and environmental authority accepting the application shall complete its review and decide whether to grant or deny the license within 60 days from the date of receipt of a complete application.

Article 25. The ecological and environmental authorities of local people’s governments at or above the county level shall strengthen supervision and inspection of activities involving the treatment of waste electrical and electronic products through written reviews, on-site inspections, and other means.

Article 26. Any entity or individual has the right to report to the relevant authorities any conduct that violates these Regulations. The relevant authorities shall keep the identity of the person making the report confidential and handle the report promptly in accordance with the law.

Chapter IV Legal Liability

Article 27. Where producers of electrical and electronic products, or consignees or their agents importing such products, fail to provide information on the content of toxic or hazardous substances or notices on recycling and treatment on the products or in their instructions as required, in violation of these Regulations, the market regulation authority of the local people’s government at or above the county level shall order them to rectify the violation within a specified time limit and impose a fine of up to RMB 50,000.

Article 28. Where a producer of electrical and electronic products fails to establish and make public a waste-product take-back system commensurate with the sales volume of its products as required by these Regulations, the competent departments for industry and information technology, commerce, and other relevant fields shall, according to their respective responsibilities, order it to rectify the violation. If it refuses to do so, it shall be fined not less than RMB 50,000 but not more than RMB 500,000.

Article 29. Where a party engages in the treatment of waste electrical and electronic products without authorization and without having obtained the required qualification, in violation of these Regulations, the ecological and environmental authority of the people’s government at or above the county level shall order it to suspend operations or close down, confiscate its illegal gains, and impose a fine of not less than RMB 50,000 but not more than RMB 500,000.

Where a qualification certificate for the treatment of waste electrical and electronic products is altered, resold, leased, lent, or otherwise illegally transferred, the ecological and environmental authority shall order the party to cease the illegal conduct, impose a fine of not less than RMB 50,000 but not more than RMB 100,000, and revoke the qualification certificate for the treatment of waste electrical and electronic products.

Article 30. Where waste electrical and electronic products are treated using outdated dismantling and processing technologies, processes, or equipment that the State has expressly eliminated or that do not meet ecological and environmental protection requirements, in violation of these Regulations, the ecological and environmental authority of the people’s government at or above the county level shall order rectification, confiscate illegal gains, and impose a fine of not less than one times but not more than five times the value of the goods. If the circumstances are serious, it shall, subject to approval by the people’s government with the authority to approve, order suspension of operations or closure.

Where waste electrical and electronic products are treated in a manner not covered by the preceding paragraph and contrary to the requirements of the qualification certificate for the treatment of waste electrical and electronic products, in violation of these Regulations, the ecological and environmental authority shall order the party to cease the illegal conduct and impose a fine of not less than RMB 50,000 but not more than RMB 100,000. If the circumstances are serious, it shall impose a fine of not less than RMB 100,000 but not more than RMB 200,000 and revoke the qualification certificate for the treatment of waste electrical and electronic products.

Article 31. Where the treatment of waste electrical and electronic products causes environmental pollution, the ecological and environmental authority of the people’s government at or above the county level shall impose penalties in accordance with the relevant provisions on the prevention and control of environmental pollution by solid waste.

Article 32. Where a treatment enterprise fails to establish a data and information management system for waste electrical and electronic products, fails to report basic data and relevant information as required, reports inaccurate basic data or information, or fails to retain basic data for the prescribed period, in violation of these Regulations, the ecological and environmental authority of the people’s government of the city divided into districts where it is located shall order it to rectify the violation within a specified time limit and may impose a fine of up to RMB 50,000. Where laws or administrative regulations provide otherwise for penalties, those provisions shall prevail.

Article 33. Where a treatment enterprise fails to establish an ecological and environmental monitoring system or fails to conduct ecological and environmental monitoring, in violation of these Regulations, penalties shall be imposed in accordance with the Ecological and Environmental Code of the People’s Republic of China, the Regulations on Ecological and Environmental Monitoring, and other relevant laws and administrative regulations.

Article 34. Where a staff member of a relevant administrative authority abuses their powers, neglects their duties, or engages in favoritism, and the conduct constitutes a crime, criminal liability shall be pursued in accordance with the law. Where it does not constitute a crime, the staff member shall be subject to disciplinary action in accordance with the law.

Chapter V Supplementary Provisions

Article 35. With the approval of a provincial-level people’s government, a centralized treatment site for waste electrical and electronic products may be established. Such a site shall have complete centralized pollutant treatment facilities to ensure compliance with national or local pollutant emission standards and technical standards for the prevention and control of environmental pollution by solid waste, and shall comply with the relevant provisions of these Regulations. A centralized treatment site for waste electrical and electronic products shall comply with national and local industrial zone planning, be coordinated with the local territorial spatial plan, and accelerate industrial upgrading.

Article 36. These Regulations shall take effect on 20XX年X月X日.