Aims and Objectives
SENS International has committed to climate protection by recycling. In cooperation with project companies the foundation is developing climate protection projects based on CFC recovery and destruction. At European level it is implementing high quality standards in recycling electrical and electronic appliances. Building on long years of experience, SENS International is seeking innovative solutions for recycling and climate protection.
Climate protection: CFCs damage the ozone layer and are especially potent greenhouse gases. The Montreal Protocol therefore prohibited their production and use in stages. However, the Protocol did not regulate the handling of existing CFCs. While the problems have been approached in Europe at national level and are by and large solved, they still continue to exist in developing countries and in particular in emerging markets. This is where SENS International plays a part. In collaboration with partners, the foundation is developing solutions and working on projects for the environmentally friendly and complete destruction of CFCs in emerging markets.
Resource conservation: a multiplicity of finite raw materials are used in electrical and electronic equipment. SENS International advocates recycling of these raw materials and is developing appropriate procedures and quality standards. SENS International attaches importance to high recycling volumes and the use of recycled materials in its climate protection projects.
Sustainable development: the projects SENS International is involved with trigger ecological, social, economic and technological developmental impetuses. These requirements for sustainability are defined in the Swiss Charter, the quality standard developed by SENS International.
Know-how transfer: together with its project partners, SENS International builds plants for recycling refrigeration appliances and recycling infrastructures in emerging markets. At the same time technology know-how is transferred to the partner country and the path for later south-south transfer of know-how is opened should the project be duplicated in other emerging markets.
Innovation: many electronic appliances such as flat screens, computers, lighting equipment and mobile phones contain a range of very valuable, rare metals, which could not be recycled before now. Together with its partners, SENS International seeks innovative solutions for the economic recovery of these rare metals.