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The draft of the scope of mobile phone manufacturers’ and importers’ responsibilities for marking recycling logos and other binding obligations was released on August 6, 2024 by Taiwan’s Ministry of Environment (MOENV). The draft specifies rules for recycling labels as well as recycling obligations for businesses. It is scheduled to go into effect on January 1, 2025, and opinions are welcome until September 5, 2024.
Obligations for Mobile Phone Manufacturers and Importers
Manufacturers and exporters of mobile phones are required to comply with four recycling requirements under the proposed legislation. According to Article 3, they must exhibit recycling emblems, recycle outdated phones, offer environmentally friendly services that let customers prolong the life of their phones, and reach the target rotation rate.
- Displaying recycling logos
Manufacturers and importers of mobile phones must make sure that phones made in Taiwan or imported into Taiwan have recycling logos as of January 1, 2026. The devices themselves, as well as their labelling, packaging, and user manuals, can all have these logos. Electronic recycling logos are allowed on phones with built-in displays as long as the user manual or package provides instructions on how to load them.
- Recycling obsolete phones
To ensure proper recycling of obsolete phones, mobile phone manufacturers and importers are required to:
- Set up recycling stations at their business premises;
- Prominently display recycling logos and recycling service information at their premises or entrances;
- Take necessary precautions to prevent data breaches from obsolete phones;
- Offer incentives for customers who recycle their phones.
Retails should collaborate with manufacturers and importers to facilitate these recycling efforts.
- Providing sustainable services
Mobile phone manufacturers and importers shall offer sustainable services that help consumers extend their phone’s lifespan. These include mobile phone rentals, subscription-based billing models, and buyback or repair programs for old phones.
- Achieving the designated circulation rate
According to the draft, the circulation rate is calculated as the total number of the recycling and sustainable services that enterprises offered in a year divided by the average phone sales volume in Taiwan over the three years before the base year.
From 2026 onward, mobile phone manufacturers and importers shall achieve a circulation rate of 15% annually. Moreover, by March 31 each year, they shall submit an annual performance report, along with an accountant’s review report, to MOENV. The annual performance report should detail:
- Annual phone sales volume in Taiwan in the previous three years;
- Number of obsolete phones recycled in the previous year;
- Number of sustainable services provided in the previous year;
- Phone circulation rate for the previous year.
Requirements for Recycling labels
The proposed regulation establishes requirements for recycling labels on mobile phones and business premises, as presented in the table below:
