BEIJING -- China has issued new technical standards aimed at better regulating the disposal and recycling of waste electrical and electronic products, controlling pollution, and protecting the environment.

These standards are a revision of the 2010 standards, and will take effect on March 1 this year, according to the Ministry of Ecology and Environment.

Ministry spokesperson Pei Xiaofei told a Friday press conference that China, as the world's largest manufacturer and consumer of electrical and electronic products, has seen both the volume and variety of waste electrical and electronic products continue to grow in recent years.

Pei said the ministry has promoted the proper treatment of such waste through formal channels for dismantling, recycling and utilization, noting that over more than a decade, various regions have processed more than 1 billion waste television sets, refrigerators, washing machines, air conditioners and computers in a standardized manner, with approximately 22 million tonnes of dismantled materials being recycled or disposed of properly.

The new technical standards expand the categories of waste electrical and electronic products that are covered, bringing products such as self-service machines, retail self-checkout machines, drones, wearable smart devices and intelligent in-vehicle devices under regulatory control.

The new standards also refine the requirements for pollution control during the storage phase and dismantling process.

Pei noted that in its next step, the ministry will guide local authorities and enterprises in implementing the latest requirements. At the same time, it will crack down rigorously on illegal practices such as open-air waste dumping and non-compliant dismantling.