According to today's issue of "City Daily," the home appliance recycling policy, which was implemented on June 1, 2009, according to the published "Home Appliance Recycling Implementation Measures," expired on December 31st of last year. The last chance to participate in the "recycling for new" program before the end of last year had not yet been taken.CarThe citizens are worried: at home, ...Used Electronic AppliancesWhat to do? Many netizens commented that the cancellation of the "trade-in for new" policy is bound to affect residents' enthusiasm for disposing of old electronic appliances. The phenomenon of improper disposal will resurface, and the issue of whether old electronic appliances harm the environment and health is once again brought to the forefront. Moreover, the "unofficial" operations in the second-hand electronic appliance market also make consumers feel uneasy. Many citizens expressed their hope to "dispose" of their old electronic appliances through a leading approach.

　　Old electronic appliances that missed the "last train" are difficult to dispose of.

A netizen named "Little Bear Cake Classmate" recently expressed his frustration on Weibo: "Missed the last bus for 'replace old with new'! I have an old TV set at home, which is a waste to discard, but there's no official channel for recycling it, and I'm really at a loss!" "Little Bear Cake Classmate's" Weibo post echoed the concerns of many citizens.

The cancellation of the buyback and exchange policy has indeed caused some inconvenience for many citizens in dealing with old electronic appliances. Recently, journalists visited...GuomeiWuzhong Store. According to the sales staff, the "Trade-in for New" policy ended on December 31st last year. Currently, only citizens who received the trade-in certificate before December 31st and have made payments for the intended home appliances can continue to enjoy the trade-in policy before January 31st this year. Regarding the impact of the policy cancellation on citizens' handling of old and discarded appliances, a journalist randomly interviewed several customers browsing the store.

Ms. Cai has benefited from the "cash for old" policy multiple times. "Over the past two years, we've upgraded our refrigerator, TV, and even our relatives' TV. We've bought about six or seven major appliances in total, saving nearly $4,000." Ms. Cai explained. She mentioned that before the policy was introduced, their old appliances were mostly sold to local scrap dealers, where a TV could only fetch a little over $100. "To be honest, if there were legitimate channels for recycling our old appliances, I really wouldn't want to sell to these small stalls," she said when asked about the reason. Ms. Cai expressed her concern that the vendors might repair and resell the old appliances as new.

Mr. Chen, who is currently "shopping around," vented his frustration to the journalist: "There was also an old... "Air ConditionerWe were looking to trade in an old refrigerator for a new one, but we failed to notice the policy change. As a result, I had to sell these two pieces of scrap metal to the recycling vendor.”

　　Street Vendors: Three Ways to Handle Waste Electronic Appliances

To better address the public's inquiries about how recycling vendors handle old electronic appliances, a journalist visited a recycling stall specializing in old electronics in the Nanchang Road area of Huangpu District yesterday. Through a discreet investigation, the journalist gathered information about the stallkeeper's methods of disposal.

　　Option One:

Extracting useful components

"Many old appliances like old air conditioners and refrigerators are simply issues with the refrigerant, with most other parts being reusable. We have several fixed contacts for old appliance repairs, who come to us regularly, say once a month, to purchase some parts from old appliances," the vendor said.

　　Option Two:

More than 60% of the new items are sold to the second-hand market.

The vendor explained that Shanghainese people update their appliances very quickly, and often the second-hand ones they sell are as new as 60-70%. If they come across second-hand appliances that are more than 60% new, they keep them and then resell them to the second-hand market. "The appliances we collect are regularly picked up by someone, and they pay us well. The money they offer is more than what I pay others when selling to public collection stations."

　　Option Three:

Rebranded and delivered to rural areas

For old appliances that are not too dilapidated but unsuitable for the second-hand market, an alternative is to sell them to remote underdeveloped areas. Those appliances that are truly beyond "recycling" are simply discarded at nearby waste disposal stations.

　　Used Market: Abundant "Supplies" for Second-Hand Vendors

Second-hand appliances remain popular largely due to their affordability, with the majority of buyers being renters. This demographic often lacks stable living environments and may not have ideal financial conditions, making it unnecessary and unaffordable to purchase new, large appliances. Consequently, they opt for second-hand alternatives. A vendor of second-hand appliances explained that, as their stall is located near a residential area, there are many migrant workers renting nearby, and selling 10 second-hand TVs a month is a breeze. "With the scrapping of the 'exchange for new' policy, the sources of old appliances have increased significantly. Some need slight modifications, while others can be sold as-is."

An online user爆料 that after the scrapping-for-new policy was canceled, not only did recyclers and second-hand vendors take advantage to make a fortune, but many small appliance stores also experienced a significant boost in business. This user, who once worked at a small appliance store, revealed that the vast majority of these stores' profits come from refurbishing and reselling second-hand appliances. The so-called new machines in the store are actually refurbished second-hand units. For instance, they would clean the heat exchangers of old air conditioners and sell them as new. Some very old air conditioners, after repair, are sold as 90% new. A 1.5P wall-mounted air conditioner, which might be purchased for around 600 yuan (the actual price depends on the condition and brand of the machine), can be resold for about 1500 yuan, with some well-conditioned units even being packaged and sold as brand new. The markup for upright air conditioners is even more lucrative.

The user also points out that many people, after using air conditioners for a certain period, send them to appliance shops for cleaning and repair due to perceived weakened cooling performance or dirtiness. Typically, appliance shop owners would use this opportunity to exaggerate the air conditioner's issues, conveniently suggesting a replacement. However, the real problem is often just the cooling fins, which can be easily resolved with proper cleaning using an air conditioner disinfectant at home.

　　Second-hand appliances lack quality assurance.

After the buy-one-get-one-free policy was phased out, many citizens were indifferent to the reduced discounts, but what truly concerned everyone was the quality and safety issues.

Industry insiders reveal that second-hand appliances in the second-hand market are often refurbished, lacking guarantees in terms of product safety and after-sales service. Most of these appliances have exceeded their lifespan, and continued use not only poses safety risks but also fails to meet energy consumption standards within their intended service life. For instance, overaged washing machines are prone to wear and tear, damaging clothes; extended use of televisions leads to insufficient screen brightness and pixelated images; outdated refrigerators have severely deteriorated sterilization and preservation functions, potentially causing excessive bacterial growth, cross-contamination of food, and spoilage. In addition to high energy consumption and low quality, some outdated appliances may also affect human health through radiation. During the safe use period, the radiation of appliances is relatively safe. However, for appliances that have exceeded their service life, radiation levels often increase over time, posing a risk of harm to the human body.

Experts have expressed concern over the practice of privately dismantling electrical appliances. Television picture tubes contain lead and phosphorescent powder, while refrigerator foam materials contain Freon, all of which are toxic and harmful substances. Regular enterprises usually dispose of them by landfilling, whereas small workshops tend to mix them with household waste, leading to severe environmental pollution in residents' living environments over time.

Why are recycling peddlers unable to be stopped? One key reason is that legitimate recycling companies must install expensive environmental protection facilities and pay high cost taxes during operation, which lacks the advantage compared to small workshops. Many industry insiders believe that after the policy termination, the situation of small workshops competing with legitimate companies for "food" will become more apparent.

In the face of various issues caused by outdated home appliances, it is an urgent task to establish a sound and standardized recycling and disposal system for old electronics. We look forward to the "trade-in for new" policy stepping down, and hope that new policies and mechanisms will emerge, genuinely benefiting the public. We also anticipate that the disposal of old appliances will gradually shift towards institutionalization and standardization, ensuring the public's trust and peace of mind.