In the past, disposing of televisions required payment of a fee. This meant that many consumers simply dumped their disused equipment by the side of the road. Under the auspices of SWICO, a commission made up of the six largest importers of IT and copying machines was established at the beginning of the 1990s. The association also included representatives from the then Swiss Agency for Forestry and Agriculture (BUWAL) and the Foundation for Consumer Protection (SKS). The commission proposed the Advance Recycling Fee, ARF, as a solution, and developed the SWICO Recycling system which takes back electrical and electronic equipment free of charge.
The association that began with six participants has grown continuously in terms of size, market penetration and professionalism. SWICO Recycling's take-back system now extends throughout Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein. Manufacturers and importers* of electrical and electronic equipment at home and abroad have signed up to the SWICO Recycling Convention. This means that used electrical and electronic equipment is disposed of in line with environmental regulations and resource conservation. *(640 convention signatories)
The professionalisation of electrical and electronic recycling has given rise to a new career - recycling. The sector's dismantling operations now employ over 1,000 people with social disadvantages and/or physical disabilities (e.g., through projects aimed at reintroducing people to the workplace, workshops for the disabled, etc.).
Some 100 young people are currently serving a three-year apprenticeship in Switzerland to become professional recyclers.
