Articles

El-Kretsen and the Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, the UN member states agreed to create Agenda 2030 and a set of global sustainability goals - a universal agenda for sustainable development....

Sustainability Report 2022

According to Chapter 6, paragraph 10 of the Annual Accounts Act (1995:1554), El-Kretsen is required to produce a sustainability report. This report has been produced...

Sustainability Report 2021

This sustainability report refers to the performance in 2021 of the company as a whole. It has been produced in accordance with Swedish accounting law...

The Battery Process: From Collection to Recycling

Most of us know that end-of-life batteries in Sweden goes into the battery recycling bin in one’s property or neighbourhood, or directly to the recycling...

Increase Your Consumer Awareness: New initiative for mobile phone labelling

Labelling that can help consumers make more aware and informed choices when buying a mobile phone – above all when it comes to their environmental...

New initiatives for creating traceable electronic products

In a world which relies more and more on electronics, many industrial sectors are working on creating closed-loop recycling systems. From small-scale local initiatives to...

Increase Your Consumer Awareness: New EU Labelling System

Being a smart and well-informed consumer who knows how different products affect the environment is not always easy. There are numerous different labelling systems and...

How to Give Your Electronic Products a Longer Life

“The longer in use, the less environmental impact” is true for most of the products we use. So why do we get new things even...

Circularity, reuse and smart designs

Can clever product designs actually improve our environment? Yes. One example is when inventors think beyond merely the lifespan of the current product. This was...

From WEEE to New Metals – What happens inside the Smelting Plant Rönnskärsverken?

Virtually all metals can be recovered, and we strive for the highest possible material recovery rate. As producing new metals is an immensely energy-intense procedure,...

Conflict Minerals and Environmental Hazards

Our complex electronic products are made up of many different materials, all with their own unique properties. But sourcing these metals through mining is extremely...

The Future of Rare Metals

Today’s technology has made us dependent on rare metals and created a sharp increase in demand. Recovering and recycling as much as possible of the...

What does a battery contain?

Batteries come in many different shapes and sizes. There are those that can be used for one cycle, and also rechargeable variants. What the battery...

Politics, Cooperation and Knowledge Building

Internationally, Sweden has long been regarded as a forerunner when it comes to environmental issues and sustainability and recycling is no exception. Compared with other...

Cooperating to Increase Plastic Recycling

In 2018, the picture changed as China decided to stop its import of unsorted plastic waste. This was a challenge for the entire recycling industry,...

A Challenge for the Electronics Industry – Creating Closed Cycles

WEEE is a challenge on a global level. Worn-out products and gadgets lying unused are a growing global problem. Far too few of these are...

The Life Cycle of an Electronic Product

Small, clever products. They light up, make noises, remember things, tell you where you are and connect you to the world. They are often made...

Sustainability Report 2020

This is El-Kretsen’s fourth sustainability report. It refers to the performance in 2020 of the company as a whole and has been produced in accordance...

Sustainability Report 2019

This is El-Kretsen’s third sustainability report and the first to have a special focus. This year, we look more closely at the role of plastic...

Sustainability Report 2018

This is El-Kretsen’s second sustainability report. It refers to the performance in 2018 of the entire company and has been produced in accordance with Swedish...

Sustainability Report 2017

The recycling situation in Sweden does not reflect the situation in the rest of the world. Globally, every year some 40 million tonnes of electric...

Sustainability Report 2016

2016 was the year when El-Kretsen turned 15. It was a nice opportunity to have a party. Exhibitions about our business together with presentations gave...

Sustainability Report 2015

The hierarchical structure of the world of waste is illustrated by a staircase, and this is not a random choice: much of the environmental work...

Sustainability Report 2014

The recycling of electronic waste is not just a priority issue for us at El-Kretsen, but something that attracts widespread attention and interest. Along with...

Sustainability Report 2013

This year we are allowing ourselves a pat on the back. Because the trend is continuing: Swedes are depositing ever more electrical products for recycling....

Sustainability Report 2012

For many years, Sweden has led the way in terms of environmental commitment in general and recycling in particular. Now a certain refinement in recycling...

Sustainability Report 2011

Things are going well! Throughout 2011, changes have occurred that strengthen our operations. It is noticeable that awareness has increased and the Swedish public have...

Recycling White Goods – A New Lease of Life

Our most common white goods in Sweden are stoves, dishwashers, washing machines and dryers. On average, they are used for 12 years before being left...

Plastic is Oil

Plastic is an oil-based product, historically and today. In the last 100 years, something that has been concealed underground for thousands of years has ended...

Plastics Common in Electronic Products

The different plastics come in as a mixed fraction from all the products we collect. To be recyclable, these different kinds first need to be...

How are Precious Metals Used in Electronics?

At least 69 of the chemical elements in the periodic table have been identified as common components in electronic products. While everyday metals like iron...

Recycling Plastic – Step by Step

All these electronic products that contain plastic - what happens to them when they reach the recycling station? Read more about the journey of plastic...

What Happens to My Old Phone?

One of today’s most common electronic gadgets is the mobile phone. In one generation, we have gone from no mobile phones at all to several...