Since the beginning of this year, the policy measures to support large-scale equipment renewal and consumer goods trade-in (hereinafter referred to as the "two new") have been continuously increased, and policy dividends have continued to be released. On August 25, the Ministry of Commerce and other 4 departments issued the "Notice on Further Doing a Good Job in Trade-in of Household Appliances", which responded quickly in many places, and accelerated the implementation of a new round of trade-in subsidies for household appliances. Among them, Beijing has increased trade-in subsidies for 8 types of household appliances, and a single product can be subsidized up to 2,000 yuan. However, some consumers said that the low price of old goods recycling has also caused concern. The industry believes that the recycling price is not transparent, consumers have high expectations for the residual value of waste household appliances, and formal enterprises are also facing recycling problems. It is understood that in order to solve the long-standing problems of non-transparent recycling prices, large differences, and non-standard services in the industry, so as to enhance the enthusiasm of consumers to participate in trade-in. The China Materials Recycling Association cooperates with relevant departments and takes the lead in formulating industry standards for public comment.
8 types of household appliances are traded-in
On August 25, the Ministry of Commerce and other four departments issued the "Notice on Further Improving the Trade-in of Household Appliances" to do a good job in the trade-in of household appliances, and the central and local policies of the trade-in of household appliances are coordinated and linked. All localities should make overall plans for the use of central and local funds to give trade-in subsidies to individual consumers for the purchase of refrigerators, washing machines, televisions, air conditioners, computers, water heaters, household stoves, and range hoods with 8 types of household appliances with energy efficiency or water efficiency standards of level 2 or above, and the subsidy standard is 15% of the final sales price of the product, and an additional 5% subsidy will be given to the final sales price of the product for the purchase of energy efficiency or water efficiency products of level 1 or above.
In terms of subsidy standards, each consumer can subsidize 1 piece of each type of product, and the subsidy for each piece does not exceed 2,000 yuan. All localities independently determine the specific varieties of the above-mentioned 8 types of household appliances. Encourage local governments to subsidize other household appliances and clarify relevant subsidy standards in combination with local residents' consumption habits, the actual situation of the consumer market, and industrial characteristics. Encourage qualified areas to include hotel TV terminals in the scope of trade-in subsidies for consumer goods according to local conditions.
In terms of subsidy methods, local governments are encouraged to adopt different methods such as payment and reduction, issuance of personal real-name vouchers, etc., so that the discounts of real money can reach consumers as soon as possible, and improve consumers' experience and sense of access to subsidies. For example, some places have set up an online platform for trade-in, as long as you submit the information of the old machine online, you can get two benefits: one is to directly receive subsidy coupons, and directly reduce a certain amount when buying new home appliances; The other is the depreciation price of old household appliances, which can be deducted directly when buying a new machine, and the "two-pronged" approach allows everyone to enjoy the trade-in discount conveniently.
Many places responded to the trade-in policy
At present, Hubei, Chongqing, Changchun, Beijing, Sichuan, Yunnan, Qinghai and other places have taken the lead in opening trade-in subsidies, and on the basis of government subsidies, platforms and brands have also increased the margin of profits.
Among them, the trade-in policy for household appliances in Beijing is from now on to December 31, for a period of four months. Focusing on 8 categories of household appliances with primary and secondary energy efficiency, a total of more than 10,000 products have been launched, with a subsidy of up to 20% and a maximum subsidy of 2,000 yuan for a single product. The first batch of enterprises to participate in the implementation of the policy include online platforms such as JD.com, Suning Tesco, Lenovo, and Xiaomi Mall, as well as more than 300 offline stores in the city, such as Suning Tesco, Lenovo Laiku, Xiaomi Home, Red Star Macalline, and Actually Home.
In order to allow the discount of real money to reach consumers directly and improve the consumer experience, the method of reducing subsidies in the payment link was adopted this time. The "Jingtong" Mini Program is the only entrance to receive subsidies, and when consuming on the online platform, you need to bind the subsidy qualifications received from the "Jingtong" Mini Program with the users of the online platform and click to use them in the order payment link; When making purchases in offline stores, you need to show the QR code of subsidy eligibility received from the "Jingtong" Mini Program to the store before paying for the order, and scan the QR code to use it.
In addition, in order to further meet the one-stop convenient consumption needs of citizens at the "doorstep", the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Commerce took the trade-in subsidy for home appliances into the community and approached consumers for the first time, and held three market exhibitions and sales activities at the same time from August 30 to September 1.
Among them, at the community activity site of Langqingyuan, Luyuan Street, Tongzhou District, Beijing's latest subsidy policy for the trade-in of home appliances has become a major highlight, and Xiaomi and the home have responded positively. Among them, Xiaomi has invested more than 200 million yuan to carry out trade-in activities, and the ability to replace new household appliances has been comprehensively upgraded. In addition, Xiaomi has also launched a ninety-five discount on ecological chain products, and there is no purchase limit for new folding screen mobile phones. The Tongzhou store of the home provides subsidies for 8 types of household appliances such as refrigerators and washing machines, with the highest subsidy standard being 20% of the final sales price of the product.
Consumers say that the price of used goods is low
"Trade-in" involves two aspects: receiving the old and replacing the new. By providing subsidies to reduce the cost of enterprises and enhance the preferential strength, it stimulates the enthusiasm of consumers to participate in the replacement of household appliances, and the collection of old ones drives the increase in recycling, which is greatly beneficial to the development of the recycling industry of waste household appliances. According to a survey by the China Materials Recycling Association, some recycling companies have gradually increased the amount of household appliances since March, especially in subsidized areas, and the number of waste household appliances recycled through trade-in has surged.
Many enterprises or platforms have now realized the one-stop service of recycling old machines and delivering new ones. In addition to free door-to-door collection of used goods, it also provides online valuation of old machines, one-click declaration, and fast arrival services, and the amount obtained can be directly deducted from the purchase of new machines. For example, on the JD platform, consumers can use up to 6 old electronic products to deduct the purchase cost of new computers, up to 1,600 yuan; Air conditioning cabinet and hang-up can be deducted 500 yuan and 260 yuan respectively for the purchase of new machines, and the replacement is more value-for-money.
However, some consumers believe that the recycling price of old machines is low. "My LED TV, the recycling price is 35 yuan, and the recycling price on some platforms is only 20 yuan." Mr. Wang said that in addition to the TV, he also plans to trade in a washing machine at home, but after seeing the depreciation price on an e-commerce platform, he feels that it is too low.
A reporter from Beiqing Daily randomly checked a number of platforms participating in trade-in and found that refrigerators, washing machines, TVs, and air conditioners are common categories participating in trade-in, among them, the recycling price of TVs is mostly 25-35 yuan, washing machines are 50 yuan, and refrigerators are between 20-60 yuan. However, the recycling price of air conditioners is more than 200 yuan, and the recycling price of air conditioning cabinets of 5 horses and above can be as high as 1,000 yuan.
Some platform staff said that the recycling price of old machines mainly depends on the material value of the product and the market recycling value. Since air conditioners are usually more abundant than washing machines, etc., and contain more high-value materials such as metals and refrigerants, the market recycling value of air conditioners is relatively high.
Cui Yan, deputy secretary-general of the China Materials Recycling Association, told a reporter from Beiqing Daily that the recycling price of waste household appliances is affected by many factors such as specifications, functional status, service life and materials. However, only a very small number of waste household appliances recycled through formal channels can enter the second-hand circulation link, and most of them can only be dismantled and disposed of after recycling. In the process of recycling, recycling enterprises need to bear the high costs of labor, disassembly, transportation, warehousing, capital, etc., and the recycling costs of each piece of TV, refrigerator, washing machine, air conditioner and other waste household appliances are mostly between 80-150 yuan; Dismantling enterprises also have to bear the costs of hazardous waste treatment, depreciation of dismantling equipment, dismantling and management labor after dismantling, resulting in meager overall profits, so the recycling price of waste household appliances is generally low.
The industry standard for the valuation of waste household appliances is soliciting opinions
It is understood that the recycled products are disposed of differently depending on their type and status. For example, used batteries need to be disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner in accordance with local regulations to avoid harm to the environment. Home appliances such as air conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines, TVs, etc., may be dismantled after recycling, and valuable parts and materials, such as metals and plastics, can be sorted and recycled for resource reuse. Parts containing hazardous substances, such as refrigerants and electronic components, are professionally handled to ensure safety and harmlessness.
Cui Yan introduced that from the perspective of the main body of recycling, at present, the mainland mainly relies on individual recyclers to recycle, but due to the constraints of technology, capital and management, it is difficult to form a large-scale and standardized operation. In contrast, recycling enterprises have effectively built a large-scale and networked recycling system by establishing fixed recycling points, significantly improving the efficiency and coverage of recycling, and setting a benchmark for the standardized development of the industry. The self-built recycling system of production enterprises not only realizes the whole chain management of products from production to disposal, but also reduces resource waste and environmental pollution, which is usually combined with the brand building and after-sales service of enterprises, forming a virtuous circle. The "Internet+" innovative recycling model breaks the limitations of traditional recycling in time and space, and provides consumers with a more convenient and efficient recycling experience.
According to the data of enterprise investigation, there are 7,755 home appliance recycling-related enterprises in mainland China, and in terms of regional distribution, there are 855 and 763 related enterprises in Anhui and Shandong respectively; In terms of urban distribution, Xi'an has the largest number of existing household appliance recycling-related enterprises, with 219, followed by Fuyang and Hefei.
However, Cui Yan pointed out that the recycling price is not transparent, consumers have high expectations for the residual value of waste household appliances, and it is difficult for formal enterprises to recycle; The problem of illegal dismantling has been repeatedly prohibited, and the phenomenon of "insufficient food" in formal dismantling enterprises is common; The subsidy policy for the special fund for the dismantling and treatment of waste household appliances has not yet been clarified, and the enthusiasm of some dismantling enterprises is not high, and the front-end recycling price is still affected.
Cui Yan suggested that the introduction of the "Special Fund Management Measures" should be accelerated to mobilize the enthusiasm of recycling and disposal enterprises; Establish a transparent and reasonable recycling price system for waste household appliances, and encourage consumers to standardize the delivery and sale of waste household appliances; intensify the crackdown on illegal dismantling and standardize market order; Strengthen publicity and education, and guide consumers to eliminate household appliances with high energy consumption and poor safety in a timely manner.
Cui Yan said that the China Materials Recycling Association actively cooperated with the work of relevant departments and took the lead in formulating the industry standard of "Valuation and Evaluation Rules for Recycling of Waste Household Appliances Televisions, refrigerators, washing machines, air conditioners, and microcomputers".
The Bureau of Commerce and other departments also mentioned in the "Notice on Further Improving the Trade-in of Household Appliances" that all localities should urge the participating enterprises of household appliances to hand over the recycled waste household appliances to the formal dismantling enterprises. Individual consumers and enterprises are encouraged to log on to the website of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment to report illegal dismantling of waste household appliances.
【Copyright Notice】The copyright of this article (including the right of information network dissemination) belongs to Beijing Youth Daily, and may not be reproduced without authorization
Text/Beijing Youth Daily reporter Song Xia
Editor/Fan Hongwei