How We Close the Loop

El-Kretsen is the hub of Sweden’s collection and recycling of electronics and batteries. By transforming waste into new raw materials and taking care of environmentally hazardous substances, we contribute to a circular society and a more sustainable future.

In a world where resources are limited and environmental challenges are growing, El-Kretsen plays a crucial role in building a sustainable society. Since 2001, we have helped producers take responsibility for their products by offering a nationwide collection and recycling system for electronics and batteries.

Our mission is clear: to ensure that e-waste and batteries are handled safely, that hazardous substances are properly managed, and that as much material as possible is returned to the material cycle.

Through collaboration with producers, municipalities, and recyclers, we make it easy to take environmental responsibility. Our recycling process takes place in several stages – from rough sorting to increasingly fine and precise separation. At the pretreatment facilities, hazardous waste is removed from the collected materials. Damaged and dangerous products must not be reused, as they could pose a risk to users. Recyclers manually remove batteries and other hazardous components before finally sorting everything by material type. The materials move from waste to raw material through disassembly, sorting, and refining.

Recycling metals saves up to 95 percent of the energy compared with using newly extracted raw materials – and the beauty of metals is that they can be recycled indefinitely without losing quality.

We believe in inspiring and informing current and future decision-makers. Educational materials, films, articles, and studies about what we do and how we can continue improving aim to support our producers in their own sustainability work and help spread awareness even further.

By taking responsibility for the entire life cycle of electronics and batteries – from production to recycling – we help close the loop and create a more sustainable future for everyone.