FLIR Systems Takes On Recycling For Electrical And Electronics Manufacturing

Independent research firm Verdantix reports FLIR’s award winning partnership with Sphera’s EC4P software and managed services to implement 47 new recycling arrangements across 25 EU Member States and achieve compliance against over 90 different waste recycling regulations. The Verdantix report highlights how consolidating materials and identifying easier-to-recycle products and packaging materials enabled FLIR to identify options for reducing recycling costs while still increasing firm-wide visibility.

About FLIR

FLIR is the world leader in the design and production of thermal imaging cameras and image related sensing devices. Pioneers in the commercial and government infrared industry, FLIR products (along with the FLIR-owned product brands Raymarine, Extech and Lorex) provide a wide variety of sensing solutions that detect people, objects, and substances that may not be perceived by human senses. These innovative solutions enable professionals to make more informed decisions that manage risk, save lives and livelihoods through use in a wide variety of industrial and commercial applications.

FLIR's award winning compliance strategy using Sphera's EC4P

FLIR had previously implemented Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) arrangements for WEEE, batteries and packaging recycling in selected European countries. But in many instances these arrangements were several years old and EU Member State EPR regulations for WEEE, batteries and packaging recycling had since been significantly revised and updated. This provided FLIR with an opportunity to reduce compliance costs but at the same time, increase the firm-wide profile for improving product recycling.

FLIR approached Sphera EC4P to identify new developments to the EPR regulations covering WEEE, batteries and packaging producer registration, collection, recycling and reporting and to evaluate new options and implement any changes to their existing recycling arrangements in each country. FLIR also needed to understand whether there were any compliance gaps which needed to be addressed and best-practices and cost-efficiencies for recycling compliance from which they could benefit.

Sphera EC4P worked with FLIR to

• Identify and implement opportunities for new WEEE, batteries and packaging recycling compliance arrangements for FLIR in 25 of the 28 EU Member States. This enabled FLIR to benefit from lower recycling fees for easier-to-recycle products and packaging materials as well as providing compliance arrangements for a greater number and type of products as the WEEE recycling regulations have increased in scope
• Enable FLIR to benefit from a centralised, corporate-led compliance strategy by implementing Sphera’s www.EC4P.com centralised web-reporting tool to manage product registration, sales reporting and recycling fee payments for WEEE, batteries and packaging compliance in each country

FLIR has been able to guarantee compliance to 47 recycling regulations across 25 countries to cover product sales in these countries.   This cost-effective approach has enabled FLIR to continue to demonstrate its commitments as an environmentally responsible company and to ensure compliance to local environmental regulations in every country where products are sold, as well as make improvements to existing recycling arrangements in many key countries.

Benefits of Sphera EC4P web-reporting solution

The Sphera EC4P web-reporting solution has significantly reduced the effort and expense for FLIR to achieve and maintain compliance as well as increased FLIR’s compliance profile to key stakeholders by:

• Providing FLIR with one standard format to gather product sales data across Europe
• Monitoring regulatory deadlines for WEEE, Batteries and Packaging data reporting, sending email reminders for approaching deadlines and escalating email chains to senior management, if required
• Removing the need for FLIR to employ compliance officers in each country to manage individual WEEE, batteries and packaging compliance arrangements in each country
• Reducing internal resources needed to understand how Member State WEEE, Batteries and Packaging Regulations are implemented
• Joining and maintaining memberships to compliance schemes for WEEE, batteries and packaging recycling in each country
• Avoiding the need for FLIR to set-up these regulatory authorities, national compliance schemes and national recyclers as new vendors on the FLIR purchasing system
• Tracking changes to WEEE, batteries and packaging legislation across Europe and understanding how changes impact FLIR and how they must adapt any existing recycling arrangements in each country to ensure they remain legally-compliant and cost-effective

For more information about the Sphera EC4P system that FLIR implemented and how the system can be implemented for your company, please contact EC4P.

You can also download a copy of the report from the Vertantix website.