The six main categories from 01/01/2022 are:
- Temperature exchange equipment
- Screens, monitors, and equipment containing screens having a surface greater than 100 cm²
- Lamps
- Large equipment (any external dimension more than 50 cm)
- Small equipment (no external dimensions more than 50 cm)
- Small IT and telecommunications equipment (no external dimension more than 50 cm)
You can find the actual appliance list here.
The main basis principles from the 1st January 2022
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The appliance list is not exhaustive, but illustrative
New electrical and electronic appliances are constantly appearing on the market. The Recupel appliance list is therefore no longer exhaustive. It is an illustrative list that provides definitions, examples and exceptions for both household and professional appliances. As from the 1st January 2022, all electrical and electronic appliances must be declared, unless otherwise stated in the appliance list. The exceptions are either mentioned in the European Directive 2012/19/EU or specifically stated per subcategory.
You can always submit a specific question about an appliance via the online contact form on our website.
How is the appliance list built?
Each category has a number:
- The first figure always indicates the European main category.
- The other digits refer to the subcategories.
- Professional appliances belong to subcategories of which the last 2 digits are equal to or greater than 50.
Whether an appliance belongs to main category 4 (one external dimension > 50 cm), category 5 (all external dimensions ≤ 50 cm) or main category 6 (IT and telecommunications equipment with all external dimensions ≤ 50 cm) depends on its size. For each appliance that belongs to main category 4, you can find the same type of appliance in main category 5 or 6. For example, a luminaire with one external dimension > 50 cm falls into subcategory 4.6 and a luminaire of which all external dimensions ≤ 50 cm belongs to subcategory 5.6.
To assign an appliance to a main category 4, 5 or 6, the size of the appliance is decisive.
Some tips:
- Refer to the manufacturer's information.
- Is the manufacturer's information not sufficient? Then base your decision on the size of the appliance in its most compact form. Non-electric accessories, such as vacuum cleaner accessories that can be easily removed, should not be included when measuring an appliance. Cables should be measured in their most compact form and not in their total length.
If one of the measurements (width, height, length) of the appliance is greater than 50 cm, the appliance is assigned to main category 4. The appliances for which all external dimensions are less than 50 cm belong to the main categories 5 and 6.
Here are some examples of how to measure the appliance:
The criterion for determining whether an appliance is domestic or professional is its intended use. Appliances that can be used in both a household and professional environment are considered household appliances. Appliances that are exclusively intended for professional use are considered professional appliances. An appliance shall be considered as a household appliance unless it can be shown that it has a professional character.
In order to distinguish between the two, the appliance list provides explicit definitions, examples and exceptions. These must be followed. If the appliance list does not provide an answer, you can determine whether the appliance has a household or professional character by following the steps below:
An instructional video to help you with your future declarations.
This video provides a good basis to make optimal use of the declaration system in general.