Recycling rates among best internationally
Technical Report 2023
In 2022, the two Swiss take-back systems SENS eRecycling and Swico collected more than 121,000 tonnes of obsolete electrical and electronic appliances and recycled them in cooperation with their partner companies. Always with the ultimate goal of returning valuable resources back into the economic cycle. In doing so, they place the highest value on quality and occupational safety in the recycling plants that are repeatedly setting significant international standards through constant innovations – such as currently in the area of recovering climate-damaging gases from refrigerators. An increasing challenge is the shortage of staff and skilled workers.
SENS eRecycling and Swico collected and disposed of 121,000 tonnes of waste electrical and electronic appliances last year. This means that the amount of appliances processed is slightly lower than the long-term average of around 125,000 tonnes. One reason for the decline is that electrical and electronic appliances are becoming ever smaller (miniaturisation). On the other hand, about 6% fewer refrigerators, freezers and air conditioners were processed last year. The amount of appliances not included in the lists of the Ordinance on the Return, Taking Back and Disposal of Electrical and Electronic Equipment (ORDEE) has also decreased by 5% compared to 2022. However, large electrical appliances increased by 2% (see Figure 1). The volume of photovoltaic (PV) modules was also surpassed once again. In addition to the progressive expansion of renewable energies, the substantial increase was also caused by photovoltaic modules that were damaged by hail in 2021 and recycled in the subsequent year. In terms of volume, the most significant recyclable materials are metals (59%), followed by plastic-metal mixtures (21%) and plastics (8%). Cables and glass each account for about 2% of the collected recyclable materials.
Occupational safety is key
In addition to returning recyclable materials to the material cycle, the removal of hazardous substances is still one of the main tasks of recycling companies. In this process, the hazardous substances are either removed manually at disassembly facilities or separated mechanically using specialised processes. These processes need to be continuously adapted to the changing technologies and latest findings and place high demands on the recycling companies’ operations. Occupational safety is the top priority here. SENS eRecycling and Swico therefore devised recommendations for the dismantling of lithium batteries for their partner companies last year. SENS eRecycling also prepared a notice for its partners on the handling of ballast units. Some of them still contain poorly degradable hazardous substances (polychlorinated biphenyls – PBCs), which are dangerous for humans and animals even in very small quantities.
Swiss refrigerator recycling setting international standards
The recovery of climate-damaging refrigerants and propellants from refrigerators also continues to play an important role in protecting the environment. Both Immark Ltd Aarwangen (BE) and E. Flückiger AG in Rothrist upgraded their facilities to the latest state of the art last year, setting international standards in refrigerator recycling not only in terms of recovering climate-damaging gases, but also in terms of capacity and performance.
Shortage of staff and skilled workers hits record high
Increasingly, the recycling industry is concerned about the shortage of staff and skilled workers, which hit a new high in 2022. As appliances are becoming ever smaller (miniaturisation) and are increasingly battery-powered, disassembly is becoming more and more complex, costly and time-consuming. This expertise is increasingly lacking. The sector is dependent on greater public-private cooperation in this area. Up to now, disassembly facilities, in particular, have offered many employees from the second labour market opportunities for work.
Raw materials recovery in the slipstream of miniaturisation
An increasing challenge for recycling companies is the miniaturisation of appliances. On the one hand, the dismantling of the small, barely visible appliances is becoming increasingly complex, costly and time-consuming and, on the other hand, a high level of expertise is increasingly required so that the appliances can be recognised as electrical or electronic appliances in the first place (see info box). This particularly affects the automotive sector, where the number of embedded electronic devices (EED) in vehicles is constantly increasing. Since even the smallest processors or electric motors contain valuable metals such as copper, aluminium or gold, the recovery of these recyclable materials is becoming ever more important here as well. However, a study conducted by Empa on behalf of the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) makes it clear that, despite the high costs of dismantling the appliances, disassembling and separately recycling them pays off and can reduce the environmental impact by a factor of four to five. In order to continuously optimise the circular economy in other areas as well, the e-conseg project is also being carried out on behalf of the FOEN. It aims to create a new assessment methodology for companies and authorities by 2024, so that they can take the right measures to conserve natural resources as best as possible, minimise environmental impact as far as possible and close cycles further.