Spain recently introduced regulations on the treatment of used toner cartridges to address previous environmental loopholes. According to the Czech Association of Toner Remanufacturers (Asociace renovátorů tonerů, z.s.), the Spanish government has introduced stricter measures through Royal Decree TED/1032/2024 to ensure that all toner cartridges are treated as electronic waste in compliance with the requirements of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive.
Previously, some importers took advantage of loopholes in the European Waste Catalogue to classify toner cartridges as waste codes for bulk toner, thereby evading environmental recycling fees. The new classification method requires that all toner cartridges must be handled in accordance with the Harmonized System (HS) code, ensuring that Spain's waste management is consistent with EU regulations and preventing improper disposal from causing long-term harm to the environment. In addition, the Spanish government has introduced a digital monitoring platform to improve compliance and transparency in waste management.