Solid Waste > E-Cycle Washington > Manufacturer

Am I a manufacturer?

For the purposes of this program, the manufacturer of a covered electronic product (CEP) sold in or into Washington State may include the entity that:

• Has legal ownership of the brand, brand name, or cobrand of CEP.
• Imports a CEP branded by a manufacturer that has no physical presence in the United States of America.
• Sells at retail a CEP acquired from an importer and chooses to register in place of the importer as the manufacturer of that product.

Manufacturers of CEPs that were previously sold in or into Washington State must also participate in this program.

Required product labeling
As of January 1, 2007, CEPs sold or offered for sale in or into Washington must bear a label with the manufacturer’s brand. The brand is a name or logo identifying an electronic product in the consumer marketplace and attributing the electronic product to a manufacturer. The label must be permanently affixed and readily visible. “White box” or unlabeled products are not legal for sale.

What do manufacturers need to do?
In order for a manufacturer’s brands of CEPs to be sold or offered for sale in or into Washington State, the manufacturer’s name and brand names must be listed on the Manufacturer Registration List as “in compliance” or “pending” status. To be listed as “in compliance” or “pending” a manufacturer must:

1. Register annually with Ecology.
2. Pay an annual administrative fee.
3. Participate in a CEP recycling plan.

Return Share
"Return share" is the percentage of CEPs, by weight, that covered entities have returned for recycling. Ecology determines the return share for each individual manufacturer and each plan. The total return share of the manufacturers participating in the plan determines the weight of CEPs that a recycling plan must collect in a given year. Plans may also use a manufacturer’s return share to assess charges and divide the costs of operating the recycling plan among participating manufacturers.

Click here for more information on return share.