From us for you

In 2016, we fared well in what once again turned out to be a difficult environment. While the downturn in commodity prices continued unabated and costs increased, income remained stable at a high level. As was the case in the previous year, we particularly felt the effect of shifts in the retail sector. Appliances are increasingly being purchased abroad or online, where no advance recycling fee (ARF) is levied. To boost our efforts aimed at integrating new market participants in the SENS system, we have now launched the “Close the Circle” campaign. In doing so, we want to directly encourage consumers to ensure that the ARF is integrated in the price of their purchase.

We have successfully implemented the system updates (SENS 2.0) that were conceived and announced in 2015. From the current year, theses updates will serve to counter the imbalance as regards income and rising disposal and transport costs over the long term. It is the nature of such changes that they are seldom to the satisfaction of everybody involved. We are therefore all the more pleased that during this process we were able to bring together all SENS partners and ultimately create greater transparency as regards the organisation of the take-back system. In doing so, we have ensured that the system is in good shape to tackle the challenges of the years ahead.

In mid-December, the concerns of some municipal collection points were brought to the attention of parliament via the postulate submitted by the member of the Council of States Peter Hegglin. The postulate requested that the Federal Council analyse the two take-back systems for electrical and electronic appliances of SENS and Swico and assess them as regards their suitability. The Council of States has now forwarded the postulate to the Environment, Spatial Planning and Energy Committee (ESPEC), which will be required to examine its contents over the coming months. We are confident about the outcome of this review and hope that it will also allow for the revision of the Ordinance on the Return, Taking Back and Disposal of Electrical and Electronic Equipment (ORDEE), which was surprisingly deferred in 2015, to be brought to a positive conclusion, with the issue of freeloaders being addressed as originally planned.

Over the coming year, we will once again do everything in our power to support the tried-and-tested, voluntary industry solution. We are motivated to overcome current obstacles and in doing so prevent an increase in the ARF for end consumers or even a situation in which it is made mandatory. In this Annual Report, we show you everything we initiated and implemented in 2016 with this objective in mind – and what we will continue to work for moving forwards.

Andreas Röthlisberger

We can look back with satisfaction on what we achieved together with our partners in 2016: more than 700 manufacturers and importers are now actively supporting the e-recycling life cycle as members of the system – around 10% more than in the previous year.

The figures from our life cycle assessment are also impressive: our environmental benefits amount to 2,800 billion environmental impact points (UBP), roughly equating to the annual environmental impact of the city of Bern.

In 2016, together with our partners, we implemented new solutions and cost-optimisation measures in the e-recycling life cycle as formulated in the SENS 2.0 project. Since the start of 2017, thanks to the establishment of our own SENS Logistics division, which is also part of the system optimisation, our disposal partners have been able to choose whether they wish to assume responsibility for transportation themselves or would rather pass this task on to SENS Logistics. We view the fact that more than 600 collections points and all existing disposal partners have signed the new agreements as an expression of the confidence they have in us and thus as a sign that our system is on the right track.

Last year, in the form of Fair ARF, we developed a simple, uncomplicated solution that allows for a retrospective ARF payment to be made on imported appliances via SMS.

In order to increase public awareness of the benefits and value offered by the voluntary take-back system, we stepped up our communication measures. This also included the development of the “Close the Circle” concept, which is set to reach a wide audience across Switzerland as part of a 2017 campaign.

“Close the Circle” – this is our motto as we look ahead to 2017: we are confident that, together with all of our partners, we will continue to make our tried-and-tested, efficient and transparent take-back system for electrical and electronic appliances a success.

I am pleased to be able to count on a good team and supportive partners who continue to work for a good cause even during turbulent times, who are willing to act when called on and who themselves actively contribute to keeping the wind in our sails. There is no better place to find out just what was achieved in 2016 than in this Annual Report. We wish you an enjoyable read.

Heidi Luck