Nowadays, promising sustainability is almost considered de rigueur. Actually being able to deliver on this promise in all areas, however, is another matter that entails wide-ranging facets. Our environmental objectives are just as much part of this process as our social and economic goals. Some of our milestones from 2015 can be found below.
SENS and people
Systematically transparent
The year 2015 was characterised by media reports on corruption and fraud scandals – FIFA and VW are just two of the big players whose lack of transparency in public led to a breach of trust with long-term consequences. Citizens and consumers are rightly responding to injustices in an increasingly sensitive manner. For this reason, greater focus is being placed on compliance issues.
Manufacturers entrust us with consumer funds in a fiduciary capacity, meaning that we too have a sensitive relationship with our partners that is based on trust. We have now also put down our intentions on paper in our Code of Conduct (CoC), which defines the guidelines for our actions, describes how we deal with employees and people and governs the principles on which our business activities are based. The CoC places demands on us, but also acts as a promise to those outside the organisation. You can study our CoC in detail here.
The guidelines for our actions
> We act with integrity and operate fairly.
> We provide information in a transparent and comprehensive manner.
> We represent the interests of the SENS Foundation systematically and professionally.
> We are respectful in our dealings with employees, customers and partners and are reliable.
Life Cycle Assessment
Seven Golden Gate Bridges and 100 Airbus A380s
For 25 years, SENS eRecycling has provided sustainable recycling of electrical and electronic waste in Switzerland. What we have achieved during this quarter of a century thanks to the broad support of various partners is impressive: the key material groups of iron, steel and aluminium that we have recycled in our raw materials facilities alone could be used to build 7 Golden Gate Bridges and 100 Airbus A380s.
The environmental benefits of 25 years of electronic equipment recycling by SENS and its partners (sales, manufacturers, retailers, consumers, recycling companies, etc.) have been determined on the basis of a life cycle assessment. In addition to the main objective of identifying the environmental benefits, the climate benefits and the volumes of the main materials recovered were also quantified.
The results of the study are astonishing: during the last 25 years of SENS, almost all of the environmental benefits (98.4 per cent) have been generated through the prevention of pollutant emissions, while the recycling of materials such as iron, copper and aluminium has had a much smaller impact than expected. The usual attention paid to recyclables must therefore be critically examined in favour of a new perspective which sees us attach greater emphasis on pollutants.