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Gut zu wissen
What device categories are there?
SENS eRecycling distinguishes between the four following appliance categories:
- SENS appliances with no refrigeration, freezing, air-conditioning or compressor appliances (small and large household appliances, construction, garden and hobby equipment, sports equipment, domestic pet items, etc.)
- Refrigeration, freezing, air-conditioning and compressor appliances (refrigerators, cool boxes with compressors, chilled drinks dispensers, ice-cube makers, chest freezers, air-conditioning units, etc.)
- Lamps and lighting equipment (energy-saving lamps, fluorescent lamps, headlights, spotlights, etc.)
- Toys with electrical and/or electronic components (robots, toy cars, games consoles, Game Boys, toy instruments, etc.)
Swico Recycling is responsible for the professional recycling of consumer electronics, office equipment, IT equipment, cameras and mobile phones. Detailed information can be found on the website www.swicorecycling.ch.
Is there a SENS participation fee?
No, there are no participation fees. The work involved in eRecycling is funded through the advance recycling contribution (ARC).
How can I submit the ARF declaration?
The declaration can be completed online. This requires the company code and customer number, which you will receive automatically when signing the contract or can additionally request. The declarations can be submitted monthly, quarterly or, in exceptional cases, on a semi-annual basis.
What is the ORDEE?
The ORDEE is the Swiss Ordinance on the Return, Taking Back and Disposal of Electrical and Electronic Equipment, and has been in force since 1 July 1998.
On 1 January 2022, the ORDEE was revised and its scope expanded. It regulates the handling of disused electrical and electronic equipment. Retailers are obliged to take back old appliances from their product range free of charge and send them for professional e-recycling.
Thanks to the SENS recycling system, this legal requirement is handled and implemented simply and efficiently. While consumers can simply return their used electrical and electronic equipment free of charge to manufacturers, retailers and importers, as well as to all collection points, manufacturers, retailers and importers register with the SENS recycling system, create a collection order and the used electrical and electronic equipment is collected. SENS eRecycling thus guarantees a customer-friendly and practical service.
What is an ARC reporting form and where can I find it?
The number of appliances imported is declared in the ARC reporting form. Only in exceptional cases does the declaration need to be completed manually using a paper form. With the SENS OnlineSystem, you can use web-based forms in order to simply and efficiently complete the declaration online.
Are the SENS Foundation’s ARC tariffs always the same?
No. The ARC tariffs can change. The ARC Committee reviews, edits and updates the official ARC tariff and appliance lists on an annual basis. The respective tariffs are valid for the period of one year, starting on 1 January of the new year.
How does the ARC need to be indicated in the end price?
The Swiss Ordinance on Price Indication (PIO) sets out how the ARC is to be indicated in the end price.
What are the implications of the ORDEE for manufacturers/importers and retailers?
Consumers are no longer permitted to add their electrical and/or electronic appliances to the household waste or bulky waste. Instead, they must return these to a retailer, manufacturer, importer, collection point or specialised recycling company.
Retailers, manufacturers and importers are in turn obligated to take back disused electrical and electronic appliances and have these professionally recycled.
The funding for eRecycling is guaranteed thanks to the advance recycling contribution (ARC), which was introduced on the basis of the Swiss Ordinance on the Return, Taking Back and Disposal of Electrical and Electronic Equipment (ORDEE) in 1998.
What is the procedure if an appliance is being offered for free?
The advance recycling contribution (ARC) also has to be levied on free appliances, as these too will need to be recycled at some point.
How are the batteries in the appliances handled? Do different conditions apply here?
In Switzerland, used batteries are always classed as hazardous waste. However, batteries contained within appliances do not need to be declared separately. Loose batteries and accumulators, on the other hand, are subject to the ARF and must be settled directly with Inobat.
Doe we need to be based in Switzerland in order to participate as a manufacturer/importer?
No, the company does not need to have its registered office in Switzerland. Foreign manufacturers and importers can also affiliate with the SENS Foundation as contract partners and benefit from our simple and efficient take-back system.
How do I let the recycling company know that I have appliances to be collected?
The SENS OnlineSystem is available to you for this purpose. Once you have affiliated with our take-back system, you can complete your collection order on our website with just a few clicks of the mouse. The order will then be automatically forwarded to the recycling company, who will collect the appliances from you within seven working days.
As a manufacturer/importer, am I free to choose the recycling company?
Anyone adding electrical and electronic appliances as well as lamps and lighting equipment to our professional and environmentally friendly eRecycling system can choose which recycling partner they use, as long as the partner is contractually affiliated with the SENS Foundation. Here you can find an overview of all eRecycling companies licensed by SENS eRecycling.
Is there a list of all SENS recyclers?
Yes. You can find these under Recycling.
Who inspects the quality of the recycling companies?
Every recycling company affiliated with the SENS Foundation is inspected by the SENS Foundation on an annual basis.
How does the registration process for manufacturers/importers work?
Manufacturers merely need to sign the contract and send it back to us signed and in duplicate. The registration process is complete once the affiliation contract for manufacturers/importers is signed. You receive a company code and a customer number that gives you access to the SENS Foundation’s collection system. The registration process is free of charge.
Who is responsible for financing the recycling process?
The responsibility for financing the recycling process lies with the “initial distributor”, i.e. the manufacturer/importer. They sign an affiliation contract with the SENS take-back system and thereby obligate themselves to levy the advance recycling contribution (ARC) and pay it into the SENS Foundation fund.
However, there are also models in which foreign suppliers already levy the ARC and pay it into the SENS Foundation fund. We have concluded affiliation contracts with several foreign companies. These companies therefore manage the ARC on behalf of their Swiss customers.
How is the eRecycling process financed?
The financing is guaranteed with the advance recycling contribution (ARC). Based on the Swiss Ordinance on the Return, Taking Back and Disposal of Electrical and Electronic Equipment (ORDEE), the ARC was introduced in order to ensure the sustainable and environmentally friendly recycling of electrical and electronic appliances. Manufacturers, retailers, importers and collection points are obligated to take back disused appliances, while consumer are obligated to recycle disused appliances.