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Annual Report 2017
Annual Report 2017
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Circular economy

Swisscom customers can make an active contribution to a more sustainable supply chain. By using the Second Life programmes Mobile Bonus and Mobile Aid as well as the repair service, they extend the service life of their devices, thereby taking some of the strain off the supply chain. This also reduces environmental and social risks as fewer new devices have to be purchased and manufactured.

DP_SDG_12_iconGoal 12 RESPONSIBLE CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION
  • Repair service in Repair Centres: One in five mobile phones purchased from Swisscom will be repaired at least once during its lifetime with Swisscom. If a phone is sent in to the manufacturer for repair, the service takes nine days on average. This is precisely where the new Swisscom Repair Centres come in: damaged mobile phones can be repaired directly on site in Swisscom Shops within 24 hours, or in as few as three hours using the express service (subject to charge). 17% of all customers use this express service. The manufacturer’s warranty remains intact thanks to the certified specialists involved and the use of original parts. Most repairs relate to cracked displays or battery and software problems. Swisscom ran a total of nine Repair Centres in 2017, at the sites in Zurich, Winterthur, Lausanne, Lucerne, Geneva, Berne, Basel, Fribourg and St. Gallen. Swisscom carries out some 200,000 repairs annually altogether, a quarter of which are already at the nine Repair Centres.
  • Swisscom Mobile Aid: Around 72,000 mobile handsets were returned to Swisscom in 2017. The return rate of used mobile handsets increased compared with the previous year and amounted to 8.0% (prior year: 7.9%). Swisscom sold many of these devices via a third-party company in countries where there is a demand for low-priced second-hand devices. All proceeds from the sales went to the social enterprise Réalise and the SOS-­Kinderdorf Schweiz relief organisation. A historic donation threshold was passed in 2017: since Swisscom Mobile Aid was launched, Swisscom customers have already donated over 540,000 old mobile phones to the programme. The devices collected are inspected and sorted by the social enterprise Réalise in Geneva. This organisation separates working devices from faulty ones, then deletes the data from working devices and prepares them for resale. Devices that can no longer be sold are professionally recycled by a SWICO-licensed company. The initial stage is carried out by the recycling company Solenthaler Recycling AG together with Dock Gruppe AG. Dock Gruppe AG has long helped unemployed people to reintegrate into the workforce.
  • Swisscom Mobile Bonus: Swisscom continued the Swisscom Mobile Bonus programme in 2016. Customers and non-customers can sell back their used devices at market prices online or in Swisscom Shops. Mobile Bonus increases the return rate. It is also open to business customers under the name Mobile Bonus Business.
  • Device packaging: Swisscom continues to send TV and Internet boxes as parcel post. It has changed the packaging, with recycled material being chosen over virgin fibres. According to information provided by the manufacturer, this saves up to 60% in energy and up to 70% in water consumed in the manufacture, and reduces CO2 emissions and waste. Swisscom also now uses a decorative design for the packaging, which offers added value to its customers. The packaging can be used as a gift or storage box, giving it a meaningful second use.