What SENS eRecycling does

SENS eRecycling (Fondation SENS) is a Swiss foundation established in 1990 under Swiss law to organize the environmentally compliant disposal of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), lighting equipment, photovoltaic modules, and vehicle and industrial batteries. It operates the country's statutory take-back system mandated under the ORSAE ordinance, coordinating collection through a nationwide network of over 640 official collection points plus every retailer selling electrical equipment. In 2025, the combined SENS eRecycling and Swico Recycling systems exceeded 140,000 tonnes processed for the first time, with recovery rates above 95% and approximately 99% of collected equipment processed domestically.

The organization's core technology stack combines manual dismantling with automated sorting — magnetic separators for iron and steel, eddy current separators for non-ferrous metals, and optical sensors for plastics. Consumer-facing services include the Electro Recycling Bag (CHF 5, up to 10 kg, mailbox pickup via Swiss Post), the free Vape Recycling Bag, and the Circular Platform decision-support tool. Business-facing offerings include the SENS AI initiative (in development), the Swiss PV Circle for photovoltaic module recycling, and the BatterEEE Forum for battery recycling. The organization is financed through Advance Recycling Contributions (ARC) embedded in equipment purchase prices and collected by ARC partners at point of sale, plus voluntary vARC for equipment purchased outside the system. A 15-person team in Zurich operates the foundation alongside over 640 partner-operated collection sites.

Name

SENS eRecycling

Legal name

Fondation SENS

Website

https://erecycling.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SENS eRecycling is a Swiss non-profit foundation that operates Switzerland's statutory take-back and recycling system for waste electrical equipment, serving Swiss households and manufacturers through a nationwide network of 640+ collection points and ARC partner financing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electronic Waste Recycling Services

NAICS

Materials Recovery Facilities (56292), Waste Collection (56211), Hazardous Waste Collection (562112), Waste Management and Remediation Services (562)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953), Sanitary Services (4950), Hazardous Waste Management (4955)

akta.pro primary industry

Consumer E-waste Collection & Take-Back Programs (EUAIAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

E-waste & Universal Waste Collection/Transfer (Electronics, Lamps, Batteries) (EUAIABAG), Material Reuse & Upcycling Services (Non-recycling Transformation) (EUAIANAJ), Certified Compliance & Reporting Services (R2/e-Stewards, Audit, ESG) (BPALAIAL), Circularity, Refurbishment & Resale (Used Modules/Turbines/Components) (EUAMALAK), PV & Energy Device Recycling (Solar Panels, Inverters, Power Electronics) (EUAIAIAL)

Keywords

• E-waste recycling
• WEEE take-back system
• Electronic equipment recycling
• Circular economy services
• Battery recycling

Headquarters

HQ city

Zurich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Advance Recycling Contribution (ARC/vRB): When purchasing new electrical equipment in Switzerland from ARC partners, consumers pay the advance recycling contribution (ARC) included in the purchase price. This fee is passed through retailers to SENS eRecycling and earmarked in special funds to finance all subsequent collection, transport, and recycling operations. Disposal is pre-paid regardless of when the device is returned.
2. Voluntary ARC: For electrical equipment purchased abroad, from foreign platforms, or from non-system participants, consumers can pay a voluntary advance recycling contribution to ensure environmentally friendly recycling is financed.
3. E-commerce Shop Sales: Sale of awareness materials including posters, information flyers, and Electro Recycling Bags (5 CHF per bag) to ARC partners and the public.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

SENS eRecycling (Fondation SENS) operates Switzerland's statutory take-back system for waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), lighting, photovoltaic modules, and vehicle and industrial batteries, established under Swiss law in 1990. The foundation finances and coordinates collection through Advance Recycling Contributions (ARC) paid by manufacturers and importers at point of sale, and provides free disposal to consumers via 640+ official collection points, retailer take-back, and mail-back services such as the Electro Recycling Bag and Vape Recycling Bag. It recovers more than 95% of materials from 140,000+ tonnes processed annually, including iron/steel, copper, aluminium, and precious metals.

Product overview

SENS eRecycling is a Swiss foundation operating the SENS recycling system, which has coordinated the collection and recycling of electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), lighting, photovoltaic modules, and vehicle and industrial batteries in Switzerland for over 30 years. The core offering centers on a nationwide collection network of over 750 SENS collection points and retail drop-off locations, complemented by the Electro Recycling Bag service for convenient home disposal of small appliances (up to 10 kg). The product portfolio also includes the Vape Recycling Bag and Vape Collection Boxes for e-cigarette disposal, the Circular Platform for device reuse/repair/recycle decisioning, SENS AI and Swiss PV Circle as initiative projects, the BatterEEE Forum, and the RRR (Reuse, Recycle, Repair) awareness campaign. The SENS Shop sells supporting materials. Financing is enabled through the mandatory Advance Recycling Contribution (ARC) included in purchase prices and a voluntary vARC for items purchased outside the system.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Electro Recycling Bag: A collection bag for small electrical appliances with a capacity of up to 10 kg, available for order online and picked up by Swiss Post
• Circular Platform
• Vape Recycling
• Swiss PV Circle

Products and services

• Electro Recycling Bag A prepaid collection bag for small electrical and electronic appliances weighing up to 10 kg. Customers order the bag online from the SENS Shop, fill it with disused devices, and deposit it in their mailbox for free pickup by Swiss Post. Targeted at Swiss private individuals seeking convenient home disposal of small e-waste.
• Vape Recycling Bag A free, dedicated mail-back bag for e-cigarettes and vaping devices including single-use and reusable vapes containing lithium batteries. Available free of charge to consumers and picked up by Swiss Post. Targeted at private individuals and vape users across Switzerland.
• SENS eRecycling Collection Network A nationwide network of over 750 SENS collection points and retail drop-off locations enabling free disposal of electrical equipment for Swiss households and businesses. Backed by the SENS recycling system operating for over 30 years. Targeted at Swiss private individuals and businesses complying with WEEE disposal obligations.
• Voluntary Advance Recycling Contribution (vARC) A voluntary financing mechanism enabling consumers to prepay recycling fees for electrical equipment purchased abroad or from non-system participants, ensuring environmentally friendly disposal is funded. Targeted at Swiss consumers who source equipment outside the ARC partner network.
• Industry Solution for E-cigarettes A comprehensive sector solution developed by SENS eRecycling and the Swiss Vape Trade Association (SVTA) to ensure proper collection and recycling of all e-cigarette types sold in Switzerland, including dedicated collection infrastructure and consumer education. Targeted at the Swiss vape industry and vape consumers.
• SENS Shop Online shop selling awareness materials including posters, information flyers, and recycling bags for ARC partners and the public. Targeted at ARC partners and Swiss consumers seeking to support the recycling system.
• Vape Collection Boxes Vape collection containers provided to schools, companies, clubs, and leisure facilities for convenient e-cigarette disposal, expanding SENS's outreach beyond traditional collection points. Targeted at institutions hosting populations that use e-cigarettes.
• Circular Platform A digital platform (circularplatform.ch) that helps consumers determine whether a faulty device is worth repairing, can be resold/reused, or should be recycled. Provides decision guidance to extend product lifespan. Targeted at Swiss consumers and families deciding what to do with end-of-life devices.
• Swiss PV Circle An industry initiative focused on the environmentally friendly recycling of photovoltaic (solar) modules in Switzerland. Targeted at the Swiss solar industry and PV module installers/owners.
• BatterEEE Forum An industry forum focused on battery recycling and proper disposal of vehicle and industrial batteries. Targeted at the Swiss battery industry and stakeholders handling vehicle and industrial batteries.

Quantifiable outcome

• 95%+ recovery rate - only small remainder must be disposed of as slag or hazardous waste
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Swiss Vape Trade Association (SVTA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2023Joint industry solution for e-cigarette recycling launched July 1, 2023. SENS eRecycling and SVTA collaborate to ensure proper disposal of e-cigarettes in Switzerland, targeting collection of 50% of sold vapes. The partnership manages the advance recycling contribution (ARC) system for e-cigarettes.
• Swiss Toy AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Pilot project 'Give your toy a second life' launched January 2022 to collect and donate used toys. Developed the Circular App digital platform for toy exchange. Over 250 used toys collected and donated to charitable organizations.
• Swiss Post (Die Post/La Poste)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSwiss Post collects Electro Recycling Bags and Vape Recycling Bags from consumers' mailboxes as part of the pickup service. Enables convenient home collection of small e-waste items without requiring trips to collection points.
• InobatcoreTechnology or IntegrationInobat collects the mandatory battery advance recycling fee (VEG) of CHF 0.05 included in the e-cigarette ARC. Revenue supports battery recycling infrastructure.
• Circular PlatformcoreTechnology or IntegrationOnline platform (circularplatform.ch) helping consumers determine whether to repair, resell, or recycle their electrical appliances. Guides users through sustainability decisions for their devices.
• ARC Partners (Manufacturers, Importers, Retailers)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOver 640 collection points operated through network of manufacturers, importers, and retailers who collect the advance recycling contribution at point of sale and accept old equipment for recycling. Includes electronics retailers, supermarkets, DIY stores, and specialized shops.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Recupel: Belgian PRO for WEEE, lamps and batteries, financed via a visible in-price contribution at retail; the closest Continental European operational analogue to SENS's ARC model and collection-point network.
• Wecycle: Dutch PRO for WEEE and batteries running a nationwide collection network with retailer drop-off; comparable mandate, financing (consumer contribution) and retailer take-back model.
• El-Kretsen: Swedish WEEE PRO operating under producer responsibility, managing collection from municipalities and retailers; directly comparable role and Nordic statutory footing.
• Éco-systèmes: French accredited PRO for household WEEE, operating eco-organism collection schemes under French regulatory framework; comparable statutory mandate and consumer-financed model.
• Stiftung EAR (Elektro-Altgeräte Register): German national WEEE register coordinating producers, take-back schemes and public collection points under Germany's ElektroG; structurally the German analogue of SENS, with broader scope but a registry rather than direct collection role.

Direct peers

• Swico Recycling: Operates the parallel Swiss PRO for IT/consumer electronics, office equipment and entertainment electronics; shares the same Swiss statutory mandate and even co-publishes tonnage figures with SENS (140,000+ tonnes combined in 2025).
• Take-e-back: German PRO offering producers and retailers turnkey WEEE compliance services including take-back logistics, reporting and producer registration - similar B2B service layer to what SENS offers its ARC partners.
• Inobat: Swiss PRO for batteries (VEG) and SENS's operational partner for collecting the battery component of the e-cigarette ARC; directly adjacent statutory system with overlapping compliance footprint in Switzerland.

Regional players

• Lightcycle (Switzerland): Swiss PRO for lighting equipment and lamps, an explicit adjacent take-back system that SENS itself coordinates with on overlapping device categories.

Emerging players

• European Recycling Platform (ERP): Pan-European WEEE/batteries PRO active across multiple countries; a potential cross-border competitor and partner for SENS if Swiss regulation opens to foreign PROs.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sens-erecycling

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SENS eRecycling