Retail Collection is a service organised by SER-kierrätys, through which stores selling electrical and electronic equipment accept end-of-life or broken electrical and electronic equipment from consumers.
Under Finnish legislation, retailers selling electrical and electronic equipment are required to accept end-of-life equipment from consumers free of charge and to inform their customers about the collection service. SER-kierrätys collects completed consignments from the stores.
Registration
The store must register as a collector of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). After registration, the store will receive a unique store-specific ID number.
Read more: Registering as a Retail Collection Point
If your store is located in Åland, please contact info(a)serkierratys.fi.
Packing
Please read the packing instructions carefully before ordering a collection. WEEE Packing Instructions. The transport company will not collect incorrectly packed consignments.
The consignment may contain only electrical and electronic equipment or lamps. Remove all packaging materials, plastic bags, other waste, and loose batteries from the consignment. Battery collection containers must not be placed on the same pallet as WEEE, as they are collected separately.
Collection
Order collection of the completed consignment at https://myfetch.fi/noutotilaus/.
Please note that SER-kierrätys does not return collection containers to the store. If needed, you can order collection containers from the online store for a fee. They will be delivered separately.
Alternatively, the store may deliver the WEEE to the nearest regional collection point (see kierratys.info).
The Collection Obligation Applies to Stores as Follows:
1. WEEE with none of the outer dimensions exceeds 25 cm
The consumer must be able to return an EE device, which does not have any of the external dimensions over 25 centimetres, without the obligation to purchase a new device to the following stores:
To the grocery store at least 1000 m 2 that sells electrical and electronic devices*
To the specialty store at least 200 m 2 that sells electrical and electronic devices**
2. WEEE with any external dimensions over 25 cm
Electrical and electronic devices, with one of the external dimensions over 25 cm, can be brought to any store for recycling with a purchase of a new appliance.
Store size refers to the sales area permanently used for business activity.
* Grocery store = store, where the most of the sales is groceries.
** Specialty store = store that sells specialty products (for long use); For example, household appliance stores, furniture stores, hardware stores.
Stores operating in shopping centers can perform the collection in a centralized way, in which case it is a good idea to discuss the collection policy with the shopping center before registering.
Which Devices Must be Accepted by the Store?
The obligation to accept electrical and electronic devices applies to the appliances typically used in domestic households. If you can imagine that the device will be used in someone’s home, then the device is considered a consumer product and it is subject to the collection obligation of the store.
Servers, large copy machines, or hospital equipment (excluding blood pressure monitors used in homes, etc.) are not considered household appliances. Companies can return equipment if the devices is considered to be consumer appliances (for example, a repair company is allowed to bring technical building equipment).
Electrical and electronic devices include all appliances that require electric current to operate. For example, they can function on electricity, battery, accumulator or solar energy. Lamps (bulbs) are also EE devices, with the exception of incandescent and halogen lamps and lamps for use in vehicles, which must be put in mixed waste. Lamps and fluorescent tubes should be collected separately from other WEEE devices.
The retailer may offer households a transport service for waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) and is responsible for setting the price of the service. The collected WEEE must be delivered to a SER-kierrätys collection point, either to a regional collection point (kierratys.info) or to the store’s own retail collection point.
The Retail Collection is Intended for Consumer Electronics — Retailers’ Own Equipment is Part of the Commercial Equipment Collection
Retailers’ own equipment, such as electronic price tags, advertising displays, refrigeration units, and payment terminals, is not household waste, so it is not included in the retail collection organized by SER-kierrätys. They must be taken to a so-called commercial equipment (B2B) drop-off point. B2B equipment drop-off points can be found on the websites of the producer organizations: SER-tuottajayhteisö ry, ERP Finland ry, and Elker Oy.
Keep Loose Batteries Out of WEEE
Loose batteries and accumulators are not included in the WEEE but must be put separately in battery collection boxes or barrels. It is recommended to remove the battery or accumulator from the device if it can be done without difficulty. Taping the battery and accumulator terminals to prevent short circuits. More info: Safe handling of the batteries in the store
Do not Hand over the Collected Devices to the Outsiders
Collected electrical and electronic devices may not be given to the store staff or customers, as the equipment is the property of the producer organisation. The devices may not not be resold either. The store is responsible for making sure that the devices brought in for recycling do not just vanish from sight but are handed over only to the transportation company designated by SER-kierrätys.
Follow SER-kierrätys Newsletter and on Social Media
SER-kierrätys sends a newsletter (in Finnish) to the stores about once a month with the Subject line “Ohjeita SER:a kerääviin myymälöihin”. In the newsletter, we announce any possible changes related to the collection in the store and news about SER-kierrätys. You can also follow SER-kierrätys on Facebook and Instagram.
