Electronic Waste Collection in Stores

Stores that sell electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) play an important role in the recycling chain for electronic waste. Not only because they supply consumers with new electronic products, but also because they are responsible for collecting old ones.

Since 2015, stores in Sweden have had a legal obligation to accept electronic waste as part of the recycling process. Larger stores selling electrical equipment must accept all types of consumer electronic equipment that are smaller than 25 centimetres. In other stores, the so-called “one-for-one principle” applies. This means that a customer may hand in an old, end-of-life electronic product when purchasing a new equivalent product in the store.

After collection, the store is responsible for ensuring that the collected material is delivered to an approved producer responsibility organisation for recycling.

What Applies to My Store?

All stores selling electrical equipment are covered by the collection system. They are divided into two categories.

Stores with a sales area larger than 400 square metres dedicated to electrical equipment must:

• Accept, free of charge, an unlimited quantity of all types of consumer electronic equipment smaller than 25 centimetres.
• Accept, free of charge, a product of any size with the same function as one sold in the store, the so-called one-for-one principle.
• At the point of sale and/or through in-store information, inform customers about the possibility of returning end-of-life electrical equipment in the store.
• Deliver all collected electrical equipment to an approved collection system.

Stores with a sales area smaller than 400 square metres dedicated to consumer electronic equipment must:

• Accept, free of charge, a product of any size with the same function as one sold in the store, the so-called one-for-one principle.
• At the point of sale and/or through in-store information, inform customers about the possibility of returning end-of-life electrical equipment in the store.
• Deliver all collected electrical equipment to an approved collection system.