14 tips to help you get rid of things even more easily
A sustainable approach to electrical appliances begins at the time of purchase and only ends when the appliance is returned to the cycle through proper recycling. Our tips show you what you need to consider.
Recycling - Disposing of hazardous substances, reusing recyclable materials
Tip 1
Wherever possible, purchase new appliances from a specialist retailer that is a member of the SENS take-back system. In doing so, you will be supporting the professional recycling of your appliance and the partners within the eRecycling cycle.
You can see here which specialist retailers are members of our take-back system: ARF partners
Tip 2
The day is bound to come: your electrical appliance is broken and is no longer worth repairing. What’s important now is that you do not to throw the defective appliances in the household waste under any circumstances, not even small appliances! Instead, take them to a SENS collection point or a retail store. Only then can you be sure that they will be recycled in an environmentally-friendly manner.
Do you want to know what is inside an electrical appliance? Then take a look at our article “Inner values – What’s actually inside an electrical appliance?”.
Tip 3
You can dispose of broken electrical appliances in a retail store, even if you did not buy them there. What’s important is that the store sells product of a similar type.
Tip 4
Grocery stores will also take back your defective electrical appliances, provided they carry products of a similar type in addition to food and drinks.
Tip 5
We have all been there: not disposing of an electrical appliance immediately and forgetting after a while that we still have it at all. Therefore, try to establish disposal routines. Be it on the first Saturday of every month or once every six months, the main thing is that the disposal cycle suits you!
And with the Recycling Map, you can quickly find the nearest collection point.
ReUse – Gifting, sharing, selling
Tip 6
Electrical appliances that are still in working order and that you no longer need can often find grateful buyers. Simply post a Tutti classified ad or try selling them on other online portals.
Tip 7
Household appliances, lamps or electronic toys that are still in working order also make excellent donations. There are many charitable organisations that are grateful to receive such equipment.
Tip 8
Try selling your old electrical appliances at your own stall at a flea market. You will be amazed at how much fun it is!
Tip 9
There are numerous practical sharing platforms in Switzerland on which you can share your electrical goods with others. The best thing to do is to surf the net a bit and check out the possibilities!
Tip 10
An interesting option is to sell electrical appliances you no longer use to specialised re-use providers. There, the appliances are professionally inspected before being resold and, if possible, upgraded to such an extent that a one-year warranty can even be offered on them.
Repair – Repairing
Tip 11
When buying a new appliance, make sure that it can be easily repaired and retrofitted with spare parts available in the market.
Tip 12
From an ecological point of view, repairs are often still worthwhile even for older appliances. Even a 10-year-old washing machine can often still be repaired. However, clarify the repair costs beforehand and ask for a cost estimate.
Tip 13
Check whether your appliance is still covered by a valid warranty. You may be able to return your appliance to the manufacturer or vendor for repair or replacement.
Tip 14
If an electrical appliance can no longer be repaired, take it to a SENS collection point near you or to a specialist retailer that stocks products of a similar type. And when buying a new appliance, check the energy label to see how energy-efficient it is.
Circular Platform
It’s not always easy to know what is best for the environment and the electrical appliance you no longer use. The Circular Platform helps you find a suitable solution. Simply enter a few details about the appliance and you will receive a sustainable suggestion.
The Circular Platform is currently only available in German.