Online marketplaces such as Amazon and eBay will have to pay their “fair share” of the costs of recycling electronic waste under new government proposals.

Circular Economy Minister Mary Creagh said the planned reforms would create a “level playing field” for electronics producers by putting more responsibility on international retailers to contribute to recycling costs.

Some overseas sellers have been able to avoid this charge by selling through online marketplaces, leaving UK-based companies such as Currys to foot much of the bill.

Companies that produce e-cigarettes will also be asked to pay more, with the plans not due to come into effect until January 2026.

By 2023, the UN estimated that 844 million vapes are thrown away each year, although it said “77 times more” e-waste is generated from unwanted toys.

“Under these new plans, online marketplaces – Amazon, eBay and others – will face much stricter obligations to ensure overseas sellers using their platforms contribute to that cost of collection and recycling,” Creagh told PA News.

The minister is responsible for the UK government’s commitment to a circular economy, which is the idea of ​​reusing, repairing and sharing materials and products to live in a more environmentally sustainable world.

Amazon told BBC News it is “committed to minimising waste and helping our customers reuse, repair and recycle their products”. It says it offers customers free recycling options, including home collection through its website.

Other major online marketplaces – eBay, Temu and Euronics – have yet to comment.

The plans will end vapes being sorted alongside toys, sports and leisure equipment for recycling purposes.

Instead, a new category for e-waste specifically from vapes will be introduced.

British non-profit organisation Material Focus estimates that five million vapes are thrown away or disposed of in general waste every week in the UK.

And it estimates that British households throw away more than 100,000 tonnes of small household electrical items, such as kettles and lamps, every year.

Elfbar, one of the UK’s leading e-cigarette brands, told BBC News that it welcomed the change.

“We are committed to offering products that reduce waste and are working with retailers to support them through the regulatory changes, while ensuring that adult and ex-smokers have continued access to alternatives to tobacco,” a spokesperson said.

The government will also require online marketplaces to register with the Environment Agency and report UK sales from their overseas sellers.

This data will be used to calculate the financial contribution online marketplaces must make to cover the costs of recycling e-waste.

The UK government said the new obligations will be enforced by the Environment Agency and equivalent regulators in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

The government says the move will help fund recycling services.

“We welcome the government’s new measures to help level the playing field on waste liability, making online marketplaces do their part,” said Currys boss Alex Baldock.

“Low-value, low-quality and unsustainable technology is piling up in landfill, and it’s good to see the government is doing something to tackle that.”