Annual Report - Sens

Collection points
Economic efficiency:
more efficient collection
Collecting electrical and electronic appliances is the cornerstone of all the areas in
which SENS operates. A survey on the costs of the SENS collection points has enabled
SENS to achieve a sound basis for developing more appropriate collection point
remunerations in 2011.
Private individuals can return their electrical and electronic
appliances free of charge at the numerous SENS collection
points. Returning them to these points guarantees they will
be recycled in a regulated, environmentally appropriate and
profes sional way in the SENS recycling and disposal system.
In turn the collection points are remunerated for receiving, storing
and transporting the electrical and electronic appliances.
The remun eration rate is reviewed annually.
Sufficient remuneration
The collection points are some of SENS’ most important
partners. To reassess the essential services of the collection
points, taking into account their different requirements – size,
location, organisational structure, quantity of goods collected,
etc. – more appropriately, SENS conducted a survey of collection
point costs in 2011.
Survey on collection point costs
To collect data, SENS sent out questionnaires to a random
selection of half of the existing SENS collection points. Out of
225 questionnaires 123 were returned: a satisfying response
rate of more than 50 per cent. In the first part of the questionnaire
those collection points taking part answered questions on
general points, such as location, opening times, organisational
structure, etc. In the second part they gave information on their
current approaches to remuneration, the services they offered,
space requirements and time taken to receive and store the
appliances, employee wages and cost of the operating area
per square metre. SENS is currently working on a detailed
evaluation of the data.
The intention is to re-evaluate the importance of the collection
points, both within the network of partners and in terms of how
end customers perceive them, by fundamentally revising and
redefining the remuneration model on the basis of the survey
results. Above-average performance and quality, especially
regarding enhanced attractiveness for end customers, should be
financially rewarded. Hence factors such as customer ser vice,
provision of support, opening times, cleanliness, orderliness
20 SENS Annual Report 2011
and structure, data quality and the question of how up to date
the collection points are in terms of remuneration are taken into
account. The process of introducing the new remuneration
model, in which representatives from the collection points are
participating, is due to be completed in 2013.
Initial results of the survey on collection point costs
The distribution of the SENS collection points according to turnover
shows that around a third of the collection points collects a relatively
small quantity of SENS goods. This segment poses the greatest
challenge in terms of optimisation. Moreover, the results of the survey
indicate that with collection points above a certain size, the selection
of types of containers used, e.g. containers or pallets, influences turnover.
Investigations also reveal that there may be potential for improvement
at the interfaces between collection points and transport
companies. Collection points which do not transport the goods
themselves often carry out preliminary work that is in fact the responsibility
of the transport companies.