E-cycle_Content Page_Information for electronics retailers

Information for electronics retailers

Retailers that sell covered electronics to Wisconsin households or K-12 schools must follow certain requirements under Wisconsin's electronics recycling law. When selling covered devices to individuals or schools, retailers may only sell brands registered with E-Cycle Wisconsin. Retailers must also provide customers information about electronics recycling. Retailers may choose to register as collectors or recyclers under E-Cycle Wisconsin.

Retailers that must follow Wisconsin's electronics recycling law

Any entity that sells covered electronics to Wisconsin households or K-12 schools must follow the retailer requirements of s. 287.17, Wis. Stats., and NR 530.11, Wis. Adm. Code. Sales at a store, by phone, by mail and over the Internet are all included under the law. Retailers located both within and outside of Wisconsin must comply with the law.

Learn about retailer requirements

Retailers do not need to register with E-Cycle Wisconsin unless they are also serving as collectors or recyclers. Retailers have two specific requirements under Wisconsin's electronics recycling law. These requirements are explained in the E-Cycle Wisconsin retailer toolkit.

Training video: What employees need to know about the law

The DNR has also created a short video for electronics retail employees. The video explains what the employees need to know and be able to tell customers about Wisconsin's electronics recycling law.

Retailers may sell only registered brands of covered electronics

Retailers may only sell covered electronics from registered manufacturers to Wisconsin households and covered schools. The DNR keeps updated lists of registered and unregistered manufacturers and brands on our website. If you do not see a brand you sell on the list, contact the DNR e-cycling program.

If the DNR revokes a manufacturer's registration or the registration expires, retailers will have 180 days to sell covered electronics from the manufacturer. This only applies to sales of covered electronics to Wisconsin households and covered schools. There are no restrictions on sales to other groups.

Retailers must educate customers about electronics recycling

Retailers must tell customers about Wisconsin's landfill and incineration bans on electronics and describe how and where customers may recycle electronics. Retailers may provide the required information through a toll-free number, in-store displays, handouts to customers or other creative methods.

The following pages have information that retailers can use to educate customers:

Outreach resources available for retailer use

Retailers may order a limited number of free, color copies of E-Cycle Wisconsin publications, or request high-resolution files for making their own publications. The E-Cycle Wisconsin outreach resources page describes the fliers, graphics and brochures available for retailer use and has an order form for printed publications.

Some publications that may be especially useful to retailers include:

Becoming an E-Cycle Wisconsin collector or recycler

If retailers wish to offer electronics collection or take-back programs under E-Cycle Wisconsin, they must register with the DNR as a collector and follow the program's requirements. If retailers wish to recycle (process) eligible electronics devices under E-Cycle Wisconsin, they must register as a recycler.