Solid Waste > E-Cycle Washington > Retailers

Am I a Retailer?

For the purposes of this program, a retailer is a person who offers a new covered electronic product (CEP) for sale at retail through any means. "Retailer" includes not only retail stores, but also remote offerings such as sales outlets, catalogs, or the internet. Retailers do not include persons who engage in wholesale transactions with a distributor or retailer.

What do retailers need to do?

1. Sell labeled products: As of January 1, 2007, no retailer may sell or offer for sale a CEP to any person in Washington State unless the CEP bears a label with the manufacturer’s brand. The label must be permanently affixed and readily visible.
2. Sell products from registered manufacturers: To sell or offer for sale a CEP to any person in Washington State, a retailer must ensure that on the date they order the product:
   • The brand name on the CEP is on the Manufacturer Registration List on Ecology’s website.
   • The manufacturer of that brand is in “pending” or “in compliance” status.
   • Each type of CEP (television, computer, laptop, or monitor) being ordered is identified for that brand name. Ecology recommends that retailers print the registered manufacturer list for their records when placing an order for CEPs to verify the manufacturer’s status on the day they place the order.
3. Public Outreach: At the point of sale to consumers, a retailer who sells new CEPs must provide information describing where and how to recycle CEPs. Remote sellers may include this information in a visible location on their website. Visit the Public Outreach page for logos and other public outreach materials.

Registering as a manufacturer
Some retailers may need to register as manufacturers for the purposes of this program. This may occur if a retailer sells a CEP at retail and:

• Has legal ownership of the brand, brand name, or cobrand.
• Acquires the product from an importer who has legal ownership of the brand, brand-name, or cobrand, and elects to register in lieu of the importer as the manufacturer for those products.

Visit the Manufacturer page to learn more about what manufacturers have to do.

Collection services for recycling plans
Retailers do not need to provide collection sites or services. To do so is voluntary for the retailers. However, retailers that wish to collect covered electronic products may do so. Retailers must register with Ecology if they wish to be compensated by a recycling plan for collecting electronics. Visit the Collector page to learn more about how to register as a collector.