Offenders of China's new regulations on electronic junk, which became effective on January 1, could face fines of up to 500,000 yuan ($75,760).

The regulations could be regarded as the country's latest effort to promote comprehensive utilization of resources and an environmentally friendly economy, Wan Bentai, chief engineer of the Ministry of Environmental Protection, said on December 28, 2010.

The ministry has introduced a set of supplementary guidelines for the regulations' implementation, which specify rules and procedures regarding issues including recyclers' qualification and governmental subsidies to e-waste recycling initiatives, Wan said.

Wan estimated that nearly 30 million units of televisions, refrigerators, washing machines, air conditioners and computers are discarded in China each year.

Those e-wastes, sometimes simply burned or soaked in strong acid, have severely polluted the environment in the past, said Wan.