Complying with regulations around electrical appliances

Article 4 of the WEEE Regulations contains the old-for-new obligation and article 5 the old-for-nothing obligation. On this page we tell you more about these obligations for retailers regarding waste electrical and electronic equipment, or e-waste.

Retailers are subject to obligations regarding discarded electronic devices, or e-waste. In the Netherlands, electronics stores are obliged to take back old, similar devices when selling new ones (the ‘old-for-new’ obligation). This also applies to online purchases. For larger stores, the ‘old-for-nothing’ obligation also applies.

Physical stores

Every store has the following legal obligations:
If your customer buys an electrical appliance or energy-efficient lamp, you are obliged to take back a similar discarded product. This is called the “old-for-new” obligation. This obligation applies to both physical stores and online stores.

Your store is obliged to clearly communicate the ‘old-for-new’ collection to the customers. We are helping our collection partners with a free vignette, which can be downloaded from myOPEN.

If your store has a sales area for electrical appliances of more than 400m2, you are obliged to accept all discarded small electrical appliances, even if your customer does not make a purchase, the ‘old-for-new’ obligation. A small appliance fits in a normal shopping bag.

Online stores

If your customer buys an electrical appliance or energy-efficient lamp, you are required to take a similar discarded product. This is called the ‘old-for-new’ obligation.

Your store is required to clearly communicate the ‘old-for-new’ obligation to your customers.