Become an ARC partner

Rights and obligations as an ARC partner

When you join the voluntary recycling system of SENS eRecycling as a manufacturer or importer, you make an effective contribution to promoting the circular economy and protecting the environment.

You benefit from an exemplary nationwide recycling infrastructure, well-established and efficient processes, secure financing and high quality standards guaranteed by strict controls.

In return, you commit to implementing the statutory provisions defined in the ORDEE as a private-sector company and to participating in the financing of recycling costs through advance recycling contributions (ARC).

You regularly report the volume of electrical equipment you have sold to the system and pay the corresponding recycling contributions to the SENS eRecycling fund. You then pass the ARC on to the retailer. The contribution amount per item of equipment is defined in a tariff and appliance list.

Why it is important to participate

When establishing the SENS recycling system, a firm focus was always placed on the requirements of industry, alongside the environmental objectives. The aim was to create an efficient, future-proof system that promotes innovation and enables technical development. 

As an ARC partner of SENS eRecycling, you not only make a valuable contribution to the disposal structure in Switzerland, you also support an industry solution based on fairness, solidarity and collaboration. By establishing a binding financial framework, the recycling system of SENS eRecycling ensures a level playing field for all market participants, which allows competition to thrive without disturbance. The more companies that participate and the fewer non-system participants there are, the better the system functions as a whole – and the more benefits each individual can derive.

Non-system participants have a negative impact

Non-system participants have consciously decided against joining the SENS recycling system. They do not make a financial contribution to the nationwide collection, logistics and recycling infrastructure, and have instead developed their own individual disposal solutions that also meet the legal requirements.

If all electric equipment purchased from such retailers was actually disposed of in the relevant recycling system, that would be no problem. However, this is rarely the case in reality.

Over the decades, SENS eRecycling has established a nationwide collection network. Consumers are therefore always able to dispose of equipment close to where they live – largely without restrictions with respect to the number of items or the equipment brand. Not surprisingly, the vast majority of electrical equipment sold by non-system participants is also disposed of using the well-developed SENS return system, even though no contribution has been made towards the collection network or the transport to the recycling company.

The more non-system participants there are, the more the SENS recycling system becomes unbalanced, and the greater the financial inequity within the industry. You should therefore definitely sign up!