WEEE Disposal Hong Kong: The 四電一腦 Guide
What's regulated, why it matters, EPD free collection vs paid same-day, disposal certificates, WEEE·PARK, and how to stay compliant.
Hong Kong's WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) producer-responsibility scheme — 四電一腦 — regulates disposal of refrigerators, washing machines, air conditioners, televisions, computers, monitors, printers, and scanners. All must be processed at the government's WEEE·PARK facility in Tuen Mun via a licensed operator. Two routes: EPD's free statutory collection (2–4 week window) or a paid same-day licensed operator like us. Landfill and street-side disposal are illegal under the Product Eco-responsibility Ordinance.
What items are regulated?
Under the Product Eco-responsibility (Regulated Electrical Equipment) Regulation, eight product categories fall under the scheme, commonly summarised as 四電一腦 ("four appliances and one computer"):
- Refrigerators (including built-in and freezer units)
- Washing machines (front-load, top-load, combo)
- Air conditioners (split, window, portable)
- Televisions (LED, LCD, plasma, CRT, projection)
- Computers — desktop, notebook, tablet
- Monitors (all sizes)
- Printers (inkjet, laser)
- Scanners
Why the scheme exists
Electrical items contain hazardous substances (mercury in some backlights, refrigerant gases, leaded solder, lithium in batteries) and valuable recoverable materials (copper, steel, rare-earth magnets). Landfill disposal wastes the recoverable value and risks contamination. The producer-responsibility scheme puts the cost of proper end-of-life management on the manufacturers and retailers, with the physical processing done at the purpose-built WEEE·PARK facility in Tuen Mun.
Your two disposal routes
Route 1: EPD free statutory collection
- Cost: Free
- Booking window: Typically 2–4 weeks
- How to book: Call the EPD WEEE hotline 2676 8888. If buying a new appliance from a registered seller, the seller must arrange collection of your equivalent old item.
- Pickup point: Your flat entrance / doorway. Item must be brought out of the flat by you.
- Good for: One item, no time pressure, ground-floor or lift-accessible flat.
Route 2: Licensed private operator (paid same-day)
- Cost: Fixed per-job quote
- Booking window: Same day / next day
- Pickup point: From wherever the item lives — kitchen, bedroom, roof
- Includes: Disconnection (water for washing machines, cabinetry for built-in fridges, wall bracket for TVs), stair-carry, dismantle-on-landing where the lift can't take the item
- Disposal certificate: Written proof of proper disposal available on request
- Good for: Multiple items, time pressure (moving out, estate cleanout), walk-ups, ESG/corporate compliance needs
We fall in Route 2. See fridge disposal, washing machine disposal, TV disposal.
What NOT to do
- Do not put WEEE items at the roadside with regular refuse. It's a breach of the Product Eco-responsibility Ordinance. Front-line enforcement includes fines.
- Do not give unregulated collectors your fridge. Informal collectors who take WEEE items without a licence often extract copper and dump the shell illegally. The environmental damage lands on you.
- Do not put WEEE in the freight container when leaving Hong Kong. Voltage differences make most HK appliances useless abroad, and freight companies won't insure them.
Disposal certificates and ESG reporting
Corporate offices, HKEX-listed tenants, and property managers increasingly want written proof of proper WEEE disposal for ESG and ISO 14001 reporting. Our disposal certificate includes:
- Date of collection
- Item type, brand, and approximate weight
- Processing route (WEEE·PARK or licensed downstream recycler)
- Our licensed-operator reference
Where WEEE items actually go
The government-built WEEE·PARK in Tuen Mun (operated by ALBA IWS) is Hong Kong's central WEEE treatment facility. It handles about 30,000 tonnes per year. Fridges are de-gassed of refrigerant, separated into steel, plastic and insulation streams. TVs have their glass, plastic, and circuit boards separated. Washing machines are stripped for steel, copper, and control boards. Recovered materials go to downstream recyclers or, in some cases, back into new appliance manufacturing.