Online marketplaces must now report the electronic items they sell to UK consumers as part of new rules aimed at ensuring more firms share the burden of recycling costs.

Currently, UK firms such as Currys, Argos, Apple Retail UK, Tesco, and Microsoft contribute to an Environment Agency fund for the collection and treatment of products like washing machines, radios and vacuum cleaners.

However, foreign companies selling electronics to British shoppers via online platforms like Amazon and eBay have avoided this expense.Televisions are recycled at Polmaise recycling plant in Stirling, after Christmas and New Year (Andrew Milligan/PA)

As of Tuesday, these firms must now register with the Environment Agency and report sales of household electrical products made by sellers in the UK.

This data will then be used to calculate the amount of recycling companies must finance annually.

The online platforms will start paying this money from January 2026.

The Environment Department (Defra) said the funds generated will go towards improving recycling of items collected by local authorities, and help drive investments in waste services and infrastructure.

Additionally, vapes will no longer be lumped with “toys, leisure and sports equipment” from Tuesday but instead will be recognised in a new category of electrical waste.

This move, according to ministers, will ensure vape suppliers are responsible for financing the disposal and treatment of their products as waste.

Environment minister Mary Creagh said the new rules aim to “level the playing field” for British businesses who are already shouldering the costs and therefore at a disadvantage to online rivals based abroad.

More widely, it is hoped the regulations will support Government ambitions to tackle the country’s throwaway culture and the growing amount of waste littering communities, nature and the oceans.Environment minister Mary Creagh (left) meeting members of staff during a visit to Currys’ 500,000-square foot repair centre in Newark, Nottinghamshire last year (Defra/PA)

Ms Creagh said: “We are committed to moving towards a circular economy in which we keep electricals from laptops to toasters in use for longer.

“Ensuring online marketplaces pay their share for managing the cost of the electrical waste they generate will increase recycling and level the playing field for UK-based retailers, boosting growth and making the system fairer.”

Paula Coughlan, chief people, communications and sustainability officer at Currys, said: “It is important that the responsibility to safely dispose of electronic waste is shared fairly, and we’re pleased the Government has listened to us and other industry leaders.

“We believe with the right skills and infrastructure in place, the UK can build a thriving circular economy – enabling lasting and sustainable change.”

John Boumphrey, UK country manager at Amazon, said: “We welcome the Government’s focus in this critical area and look forward to continuing our work with the Circular Economy Taskforce to drive further innovation, supporting the UK’s transition to a more circular economy.

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Vapes will now come under a new category of e-waste (Jacob King/PA)

“We believe retailers have an important role to play in reducing waste, which is why we prioritise reselling, refurbishing, donating or recycling products wherever possible.”

Scott Butler, executive director of circular economy campaign group Material Focus, said: “We welcome the new vape category announced today, which provides a further opportunity to tighten up the environmental enforcement of vapes.

“By understanding how many vapes are being sold, Defra can set targets to ensure that vape producers make their fair contribution to the costs of recycling these products.”

E-waste is the fastest-growing waste stream in the world, according to the UN.

Meanwhile, estimates by Material Focus found more than 100,000 tonnes of electricals are binned across the UK every year.

The new rules come as part of wider Government efforts to generate a circular economy in which electricals are kept in use for longer.

Ministers have convened a taskforce of experts to help develop a circular economy strategy for England, which will include a roadmap to increase the reuse and recycling of electrical equipment.

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