1996 Electronics Industry Environmental Roadmap - Civil and ...

Disposition
conditioners. Although the product categories differ from the primary discussion in this chapter,
it is valuable to note the decision to establish a dual infrastructure for these items. The program,
thus far, includes 40 producers and importers of the final products (or approximately 95% of the
industry) and creates a competitive partnership among retailers, transportation companies, and
recyclers. In some cases, such as Vienna, the local authorities are also involved. Recycling costs
have decreased by more than 40% in the two years of operation, due to increased competition and
experience.
Switzerland: In Switzerland, where the government as yet has no plans to mandate the disposition
of electronic products, a voluntary program called the Swiss Economic Association of Information,
Communication, and Organization Technology (SWICO) was established in April 1994.
SWICO membership is open to any company importing or producing office equipment or computers.
Membership requires adherence to the convention, which calls for:
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Avoidance of wastes,
Reduction of harmful substances during manufacturing processes,
Waste utilization through reuse or value material recycling, and
Environmentally sustainable residual material disposal.
The SWICO system utilizes three strategies to collect used equipment for recycling: 1)
equipment distributors and dealers with the purchase of new equipment (any brand); 2) supplierspecified
collection points, which may include on-site pickup; and 3) public drop-off sites
located at Swiss railway stations. Following collection, used equipment is transported to
recyclers that are licensed by SWICO. SWICO currently licenses 12 recyclers. While there is no
limit to the number of recyclers in the SWICO system, recyclers must meet the licensing quality
standards, which are based on processing capabilities, technology, and environmental
performance. Recyclers are licensed for one year with an automatic extension if they continue to
meet performance standards, which are monitored during SWICO’s biannual on-site inspections.
The SWICO collection and recycling system is funded through pre-payment fees, charged at the
point of sale, lease, or rental, with no additional cost to the customer at the point of disposal. The
compulsory fee must be openly and separately displayed on all price lists and invoices, and no
discounting is allowed. Participating companies manage the pre-payment fee revenue, with
guidelines developed by SWICO on the kind of expenditures that companies can bill to their prepayment
accounts. External auditors, on behalf of the signatories, must guarantee to the public
that guidelines are observed. Semi-annually, participating companies contribute 2% of the prepayment
fees to SWICO for system administration, and to cover the cost of recycling nonmember
equipment.
France, Germany, and the Netherlands: After several years of study and negotiation with their
Ministries, the French, German, and Dutch electronic industry associations have proposed shared
responsibility models for electronics disposition. Under these models, responsibility for the
collection and processing of used electronic equipment would be shared by the chain of actors in
the product life cycle, including product manufacturers, retail outlets, municipal authorities, and
the waste management industry.