A new guideline from the State Environmental Protection Administration of China says electronics manufacturers and consumers are both responsible for dealing with the pollution caused by discarding old home appliances and electronic products.

A representative from SEPA says that this new policy aims to control the trash caused by appliances and electronics. This policy requires the producer, seller and consumer to share the responsibility of preventing and dealing with the pollution.

As this is only a guideline policy, the national government will soon also make detailed rules and regulations that stipulate the ways responsibility will be shared between manufacturers and consumers and also the fees involved in the disposal of these electronics.

SEPA is working with China's Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Information Industry and Ministry of Commerce to formulate these new rules.