In order to encourage effective use of resources and to reduce wastes, the Electric Household Appliance Recycling Law was enforced in April 2001 in Japan. This law mandated that appliance manufacturers take back and recycle four types of home appliances: air conditioners, TVs, refrigerators, and washing machines.
Japan has established the taking-back system for four types of E-waste (air conditioners, TVs, refrigerators and washing machines) and PCs. In order to implement the taking-back system, the ministries and authorities concerned conduct all producers of E-product and PCs to undertake the environmentally sound management, pursuant to the law, regulations and guidelines. All Japanese
producers of E-product take high priority to undertake the environmentally sound management not only for the protection of the environment but also for their business approach. At present, most of the facilities for E-waste in Japan are financially supported by the ministries and municipalities or Japanese producers of E-product. Japanese producers of E-product involve the business strategy to deal with E-waste on the environmentally sound management and have their own recycling facilities or collaborate between the producers to set up and operate facilities.
E-waste released from households is collected by retail shops when it is discharged or consumers buy new products. The collected E-waste is transferred to the collection points and finally transferred to recycling facilities by distribution system.
 

A take-back and recycling system of white and brown goods is in operation in the Netherlands as of 01/01/1999. It is a colective system financed by a visible fee. The collection rates of the system are according to expectations, and the recycling rates achieved are higher than anticipated and the costs are much lower than budgeted. The good performance is chiefly due to its professional management, its economy of scale and the leverage towards recyclers. The results compare favourably with the take-back and recyling system for IT goods which are based on individual responsibility.