New laws making online sellers responsible for dealing with used electronics have come into force.
Ministers announced that long-trailed reforms to the producer responsibility system for waste electrical equipment had formally kicked in.
No-for-profit body Material Focus recently found more than 100,000 tonnes of electrical items were binned across the UK every year.
Under the new rules, online marketplaces need to register with the Environment Agency and report UK sales of such items by overseas businesses – then pay their share of the clean-up cost.
Funds generated by the reformed system will be invested in the collection and treatment of electrical items collected by local authorities.
Environment minister Mary 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.”
Ministers said last December that internet sales platforms would be given financial obligations for electronic waste.
