In Switzerland last year, the average resident disposed of 10.34 kilograms of electrical and electronic appliances in the SENS system. The total volume of SENS appliances disposed of thus stood at 89,514 tonnes (incl. lamps and photovoltaics). You can find impressive values, useful figures and information on important changes relative to the prior year here.
Key Figures for the Take-back System
Key figures
2020
2021
Change
Manufacturers/importers subject to ARFs
912
1 202
32%
Official SENS recycling companies
19
20
5%
Official SENS collection points
501
506
1%
Customers in the SENS OnlineSystem
3,106
3,319
8%
Collection orders via the SENS OnlineSystem
40,314
31,613
3%
Credit notes for recycling services
7,114
7,595
6%
Recycling
Small household appliances including toys, games and lamps
2020
2021
Change in %
Volume in tonnes
30 378
31 457
4%
Via official SENS collection points
85%
89%
4%
Through retail
11%
6%
–5%
Returned directly to the official SENS recycling companies
4%
5%
1%
Collection rate*
43%
45%
2%
Large household appliances
Volume in tonnes
36 604
38 851
6%
Via official SENS collection points
79%
80%
1%
Through retail
16%
16%
0%
Returned directly to the official SENS recycling companies
5%
4%
–1%
Collection rate*
83%
84%
1%
Refrigerators and freezers
Volume in tonnes
20 923
23 349
12%
Via official SENS collection points
58%
64%
6%
Through retail
13%
11%
-2%
Returned directly to the official SENS recycling companies
29%
24%
–5%
Collection rate*
74%
84%
10%
Lighting equipment
Volume in tonnes
978
999
2%
Through retail
50%
62%
12%
Through retail
2%
5%
3%
Returned directly to the official SENS recycling companies
48%
33%
–15%
Lamps
Volume in tonnes
3 159
3 285
4%
Medical devices
Volume in tonnes
2
8
290%
Photovoltaics
Volume in tonnes
631
1 127
79%
Welding equipment
Volume in tonnes
8
5
-42%
Total
Total volume recycled within the SENS system
89 524
95 797
7%
Total volume recycled per head in kilograms
9,51
10,99
16%
¹8,667,100 inhabitants in 2019; 8,736,500 inhabitants in 2021 according to the FSO.
* The collection rate indicates the relation between the collected quantity of disused waste electrical and electronic appliances and the quantity of new appliances put into circulation. The rate is determined annually and used as an indicator of a take-back system’s performance. Switzerland has one of the highest collection rates in Europe. As a permit from the Federal Office for the Environment is required to export defective electrical and electronic appliances, this only occurs on rare occasions. Furthermore, only small quantities are improperly discarded, e.g. with general waste. Thanks to the dense network of collection points, the broad coverage of processing facilities and the financing of the recycling process by the advance recycling fee (ARF), almost all waste electrical and electronic appliances are properly processed using the take-back system (SENS, Swico). Inaccuracies currently still exist with regard to the mix of goods and the factors used when converting from items to kilograms in the case of new appliances. Furthermore, the storage of unused appliances by their owners or their passing on for further use are not considered in the collection rate.
Balance Sheet Assets
Assets
Annex
2020 in CHF
2021 in CHF
Cash and cash equivalents
3.1
13 186 316
19 449 813
Receivables from services
3.2
2 712 420
2 408 110
Other current receivables
3.3
641 104
423 993
Accrued and deferred income
3.4
9 725 149
10 837 420
Operating assets
26 264 990
33 119 337
Securities
3.5
21 375 284
38 689 536
Assets from participations
3.6
80 588
80 588
Loans
3.7
450 000
400 000
Investments
3.8
39 000
39 000
Tangible assets
3.9
299 665
337 201
Intangible assets
3.10
0
0
Fixed assets
22 244 536
39 546 325
Total
Total assets
48 509 526
72 665 662
Balance Sheet Liabilities
Liabilities
Annex
2020 in CHF
2021 in CHF
Liabilities from services
3.11
3 611 077
3 409 455
Other liabilities
183 823
588 300
Accrued and deferred liabilities
3.12
888 045
1 596 316
Current provisions
3.13
0
0
Current liabilities
4 682 944
5 594 071
Recycling funds
42 511 611
65 701 236
Fund capital
42 511 611
65 701 236
Foundation capital
320 000
370 000
Reserves
3.14
994 971
1 000 355
Organisational capital
1 314 971
1 370 355
Total
Total liabilities
48 509 526
72 665 662
Operating Account
Take-back system revenue
Annex
2020 in CHF
2021 in CHF
Revenue from recycling fees
4.1
45 765 273
51 033 733
Compensation for partner systems
4.2
3 841 533
2 263 506
Total take-back system revenue
41 923 740
48 770 227
Take-back system expenditure
Collection expenditure
12 721 790
14 555 111
Transport expenditure
12 477 468
14 649 753
Recycling expenditure
12 801 002
9 809 701
Standards (WEEELABEX, CENELEC, ISO)
16 984
9 700
Collection, dismantling and recycling checks
4.3
471 846
438 692
Manufacturer/importer checks
95 350
118 550
Market basket analysis
215 711
80 112
Publicity campaign
4.4
1 009 570
757 460
Total take-back system expenditure
39 809 720
40 419 080
Total
Take-back system result
2 114 020
8 351 147
Head Office revenue
Contribution to administrative costs
4.5
303 478
61 824
Revenue from services/consulting
0
0
Other revenue
- 2 014
-24 375
Extraordinary and prior-period revenue
66 796
19 860
Total Head Office revenue
368 260
57 309
Head Office expenditure
Personnel expenditure
4.6
1 355 935
1 439 586
Board of Trustees and ARF Committee
4.7
162 317
188 902
Office and administrative expenditure
4.8
311 634
363 841
IT expenditure
364 092
254 219
Accounting, business and legal consulting
4.9
109 704
257 075
Studies and projects
354 307
234 113
Auditing
13 650
8 450
Public relations
4.10
176 737
97 240
International
41 625
64 648
Other expenditure
8 535
10 987
Depreciation, amortisation and value adjustments
54 063
51 531
Extraordinary and prior-period expenditure
5 713
2000
Total Head Office expenditure
2 958 313
2 972 593
Total
Head Office result
–2 590 053
-2 915 284
Operation
Operating result
–476 033
-5 435 863
Financial income
4.11
50 025
516 763
Annual result
Annual result before allocation
–426 008
5 952 626
Change in recycling funds
–432 631
5 947 242
Change in organisational capital
6 623
5 384
Annual result after allocation
0
0
Cash Flow Statement
Operating activities
2020 in CHF
2021 in CHF
Annual result
–426 008
5 952 626
Depreciation on furniture and fixtures
33 765
49 560
Depreciation on IT hardware
20 298
1 971
Depreciation on software
0
0
Appreciation on securities
114 875
625
Increase/decrease in receivables from services
–1 223 137
662 147
Increase/decrease in other current receivables
–193 538
276 562
Decrease/increase in accrued and deferred income
–821 915
1 668 650
Decrease in liabilities from services
138 440
-212 357
Increase in other liabilities
149 617
419 096
Increase/decrease in accrued and deferred liabilities
–956 245
-2 359 478
Cash inflow/cash outflow from operating activities
–2 737 840
506 776
Investment activities
Divestment/investment in securities
–206 200
-479 555
Divestment of loans
100 000
50 000
Investment in participations
0
0
Investment in furniture and fixtures
–186 877
-62 584
Investment in IT hardware
–5 597
-26 485
Cash inflow/cash outflow from investment activities
–298 673
-518 623
Financing activities
Increase/decrease in organisational capital
0
0
Increase/decrease from financing
0
0
Cash inflow/cash outflow from financing activities
0
0
Business activities
Cash inflow/cash outflow from business activities
–3 462 521
5 940 778
Cash and cash equivalents as at 1.1.
16 648 837
13 186 316
Cash and cash equivalents from merger with SLRS
322 719
Cash and cash equivalents as at 31.12.
13 186 316
19 449 813
Change in cash inflow/cash outflow
–3 462 521
5 940 778
Statement of Changes in Capital
Foundation capital
Reserves
Annual result
Total
Balance as at 1.1.2020
320 000
994 971
0
1 314 971
Balance after merger SLRS
50 000
88 383
0
138 383
Annual result¹
5 952 626
5 952 626
Allocation to reserves
5 384
–5 384
0
Withdrawals from reserves
-88 383
88 383
0
Allocation to recycling funds
-6 035 626
-6 035 626
Balance as at 31.12.2020
370 000
1 000 355
0
1 370 355
²Before allocation
Small appliances
Large appliances
Toys and games
Photovoltaics
Welding equipment
Light
Annual result
Balance as at 1.1.2020
5 147 484
32 294 015
2 732 141
2 169 004
168 966
17 154 000
Annual result³
6 035 626
Contribution to administrative costs
-136 666
-254 834
70 000
70 000
1 500
250 000
0
Withdrawal/allocation
1 429 396
3 216 069
28 603
524 034
5 831
831 693
-6 035 626
Balance as at 31.12.2020
6 440 215
35 255 250
2 830 745
2 763 038
176 296
18 235 693
0
³After allocation of organisational capital
Foundation capital
Reserves
Annual result
Total
Balance as at 1.1.2019
320 000
988 349
0
1 308 349
Annual result⁴
-426 008
-426 008
Allocation to reserves
6 623
–6 623
0
Withdrawals from reserves
0
0
0
Allocation to recycling funds
432 631
432 631
Balance as at 31.12.2019
320 000
994 971
0
1 314 971
⁴Before allocation
Small appliances
Large appliances
Toys and games
Photovoltaics
Welding equipment
Light
Annual result
Balance as at 1.1.2019
6 189 351
32 608 670
2 557 774
1 426 355
162 093
0
Annual result⁵
-432 631
Contribution to administrative costs
-43 370
-98 130
70 000
70 000
1 500
0
0
Withdrawal/allocation
-998 497
-216 524
104 368
672 649
5 373
0
432 631
Balance as at 31.12.2019
5 147 484
32 294 015
2 732 141
2 169 004
168 966
0
0
⁵After allocation of organisational capital