Home Appliance Recycling Law related policy

For the purpose of smooth recycling of electric home appliances, the Act on Recycling of Specified Kinds of Home Appliances (the "Home Appliance Recycling Act") obliges retailers of air conditioners, televisions, refrigerators/freezers, and washing machines/clothes dryers for household use ("Home Appliances") to implement certain matters. These obligations include an obligation to take back Home Appliances to be disposed of from disposers (consumers, etc.), an obligation to deliver taken-back Home Appliances to manufacturers, etc., an obligation to publicly announce amounts of collecting and transporting fees for take-back, an obligation to present amounts of collecting and transporting fees, and recycling fees specified by manufacturers, etc. in response to inquiries from disposers (consumers, etc.), and an obligation to issue, manage and keep manifest in connection with take-back.

In order to ensure that sellers comply with applicable laws and regulations and to ensure that customers can purchase products on our site without concern, we request professional sellers and corporate sellers who sell Home Appliances as well as individual sellers who repeatedly sell Home Appliances on our site to comply with these obligations.

For sellers’ reference, the frequently asked questions about the Home Appliance Recycling Act and for selling Home Appliances on our site are listed below.

If any of the obligations under the Home Appliance Recycling Act is not properly observed, actions as we deem appropriate may be taken, including temporary suspension of selling and permanent suspension of qualification for selling on our site.

What are the appliances subject to the Home Appliance Recycling Act?

The appliances subject to the Home Appliance Recycling Act include the following products:

• Air conditioners;
• Televisions (cathode-ray tube-type, liquid crystal display-type and plasma-type);
• Refrigerators/freezers (including wine cellars); and
• Washing machines/clothes dryers

Please access to the following website for details on the applicable products:

Association for Electric Home Appliances, Home Appliance Recycling Coupon Center (Japanese)

What are retailers' obligations under the Home Appliance Recycling Act?

The Home Appliance Recycling Act imposes the following four (4) major obligations on retailers:

• An obligation to take back Home Appliances to be disposed of from disposers (consumers, etc.);
• An obligation to deliver taken-back Home Appliances to manufacturers, etc.;
• An obligation to publicly announce amounts of collecting and transporting fees for take-back and present amounts of collecting and transporting fees, and recycling fees specified by manufacturers, etc. in response to inquiries from disposers (consumers, etc.); and
• An obligation to issue, manage and keep manifest (home appliance recycling coupons) in connection with take-back

For details, please access to the following website:

Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Information Materials for Retailers (For Obligations, etc. of Retailers under the Home Appliance Recycling Act) (Japanese)

Where should the collecting and transporting fees be displayed on Amazon site?

Please post the collecting and transporting fees on the page of "Information Provided under Japan’s Act on Specified Commercial Transactions" of sellers in the following manner:

1. Under Settings, click Your Info & Policies.
2. Select About Seller and add the collecting and transporting fees.

The collecting and transporting fees cannot be collected through Payment on Amazon site. Isn’t it deemed as breach of rules regarding payment-collection by Amazon?

As payments of collecting and transporting fees for collecting applicable products are transactions between purchasers and collecting contractors, these Rules are not deemed to be breached.

In case of FBA products, it is impossible for sellers to collect old products together with delivery of new products. Will you make arrangements, etc. for collection?

Unfortunately, we do not make any arrangement for collection of the applicable products. In case of FBA products, sellers are required to separately arrange carriers for collection.

The area in which carriers for collection and transportation under the Home Appliance Recycling Act can be arranged is limited. So, how the seller can limit the delivery destination to be designated by purchasers?

Currently, sellers are not allowed to sell products on our site by limiting areas in Japan where purchasers can designate as delivery destination. Sellers should consult with legal advisors or Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry on their own about how to sell products on our site in compliance with the laws and regulations even though the area cannot be limited.

Are sellers located outside Japan also required to observe the obligations under the Home Appliance Recycling Act?

Even sellers located outside Japan are required to observe the obligations under the Home Appliance Recycling Act. Sellers located outside Japan should consult with legal advisors or Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry on their own about how to sell products offered from overseas on our site in compliance with the laws and regulations.