VietNamNet Bridge – Beginning in early 2015, all residents in Vietnam will be able to bring their discarded electronic products to disposal points set up by manufacturers and importers, according to a newly released government decision.

Under Decision No 50, the electronic products will be given to manufacturers and importers at the waste-recall disposal centers, and the businesses will then take them away for recycling or proper disposal.

The recall centers to be set up in January 2015 will collect compact lamps, fluorescent lamps, computers, monitors, CPUs, printers, fax machines, scanners, cameras, camcorders, mobile phones, tablets, and DVDs.

From 2016, there will be recall centers to collect photocopiers, televisions, refrigerators, air conditioners and washing machines.

Many people don’t know how to discard old or broken electronic products, and usually throw them in dumping grounds, just like other kinds of domestic waste.

This poses a significant threat to the environment as the electronic waste discharges harmful chemicals and heavy metals into the soil and water.

Commenting about Decision No 50, an official of the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment (MONRE) said that it clearly states that manufacturers and importers are responsible for proper disposal.

In the past, manufacturers and importers took responsibility for product quality during warranty periods, but they did not bear any further responsibility after the end of the period.

However, with the new decision, they will have to recall products to be discarded by consumers. Moreover, the enterprises must submit written reports to MONRE about the amounts of products sold and recalled in the Vietnamese markets and how the discarded products are treated.

Electronic manufacturers have been doing this for many years in other parts of the world.

Consumers, for example, bring discarded printing ink boxes to recall centers, and the manufacturers then deal with the boxes.

Observers, while saying the decree is a reasonable decision, noted that in Vietnam, returning discarded products may not be the choice of the majority of Vietnamese.

“I believe that Vietnamese would sell discarded products to scrap-iron dealers for money rather than bring e-waste to recall centers,” an observer noted.

Duong Thanh An from the MONRE’s Environment General Directorate said in Thanh Nien that the general directorate is drafting a circular to guide the implementation of the government’s decision.

The United Nations and governmental and non-governmental organizations have rung the alarm bell over the increase of e-waste in recent years.

They estimated that the “e-waste mountain” is equivalent to the height of 200 Empire State buildings (the 102-floor skyscraper located in New York City).