Recupel members (importers and manufacturers) pay a contribution for every electrical appliance, electronic device and light bulb they put on the Belgian market. This contribution is factored into the sales price and appears on any receipt or invoice.
What does Recupel do with this contribution?
- Recupel raises awareness among consumers and businesses about the importance of recycling and how to do it properly;
- It arranges for the collection of old or broken appliances;
which can be taken to a Recupel Point to be reused or recycled free of charge. This means the raw materials can be reused to produce new appliances or for use in other industrial applications. - It reports all these activities to the authorities.
Recupel has compiled a list of appliances on which you can consult the contributions per appliance. This list is updated every year, if necessary.
When does the Recupel contribution not apply?
For appliances that you:
- import, store in a customs or VAT warehouse and that you market abroad;
- import and store in a (normal) warehouse and then export abroad;
- manufacture and market abroad.
What should you mention about the Recupel contribution on your invoice or receipt?
It is important that you inform your customers in a transparent manner about the Recupel contributions that apply to the appliances you put on the market. This applies to all forms of advertising in which prices are mentioned, such as price lists, catalogues, advertising leaflets, websites, etc.
| Household appliances | Professional appliances | |
|---|---|---|
| Sales to distributors | indicate the Recupel contribution separately for each appliance | mentioning 'Recupel contribution included' is sufficient |
| Sales to private individuals/end consumers | mentioning 'Recupel contribution included' is sufficient | mentioning 'Recupel contribution included' is sufficient |