Review and outlook: one year of collaboration between Swico and dss+

Introduction of the new partnership

The 2024 takeover of the audit function by dss⁺ marked a turning point for Swico. After almost 30 years of successful collaboration with Empa and a relationship of deep trust, dss⁺ was now assuming responsibility. The experience and expertise of the lead auditors, who were previously part of the Empa team, ensured a smooth transition. This new partnership stands for continuity and innovation, with dss⁺ contributing broad specialist knowledge, experience in international WEEE projects and expertise in digitalisation.

About dss⁺

dss⁺ is a consulting firm that specialises in risk management, operational excellence and sustainability. From its headquarters in Versoix and offices in Zurich and Lausanne, dss⁺ supports the transition to a more sustainable economy. The company has a multidisciplinary team of more than 1,000 employees worldwide who perform diagnostics, develop strategies and support the implementation of effective transformation projects – at production unit, city, industry or regional level. 

The audit team

The audit unit is headed up by Esther Thiébaud, who was previously Lead Auditor at Empa from 2010 to 2017, and who was also responsible for many years for Toocy, the material flow software that is now being replaced. Arthur Haarman was Lead Auditor at Empa from 2017 to 2019. Andreas Bill had already been a member of Empa’s Audit Team for three years before the handover, thus ensuring a seamless transition of all the audit work. Tetiana Gagarina, who is currently training to become an auditor, joined the team in mid-2024. This consolidated experience in conducting WEEE recycling audits and developing audit systems will allow Swico to maintain and continuously improve its high standards.

Taking a look back at 2024

The resumption of auditing activities and work in the Swico/SENS Technical Commission after a break of several years has highlighted exciting changes in recent years. The audit protocols and reporting of batch tests have been refined over the years, while the processes have been formalised, enabling more detailed, targeted evaluation. Collaboration with SENS has become more efficient, with clear responsibilities and well-established processes. Recyclers have also seen a great deal of change, and they now have increasingly digitalised processes and management systems, not to mention new, specialised recycling facilities and sorting technologies, at their disposal. dss⁺ carried out a total of nine initial, follow-up and repeat audits and guided three Swico mix batch tests, one wooden speaker batch test (Wooden speakers) and one flat-screen batch test. These tests provided important information on appliance composition, recycling and recovery rates, and the breakage rate for backlighting during dismantling.

Outlook for 2025

In addition to the regular recycling audits and batch tests, there are other exciting projects in the pipeline for 2025. The full implementation of the WEEE flow software will enable better data analysis and verification and serve as an additional data source for quantifying and visualising Swico’s environmental performance. dss⁺ will also head up the Swico/SENS Technical Commission. The further training planned for this year will focus on the digitalisation of the audit process and the significance of perfluorinated and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFASs) for take-back systems.

Conclusion

The partnership between Swico and dss⁺ has proven successful. With a clear focus on continuity and innovation, dss⁺ has done more than just maintain Swico’s high standards,; it has advanced them too. The activities planned for 2025 promise continued successful collaboration and a sustainable future for the Swico auditor.