Since 2008, we have been working effectively with our local partner in Brazil to protect the climate by destroying CFC and HFC gases, which has been proven to save more CO2 than comparable climate protection projects.

Many can reduce greenhouse gases – we go further and destroy them.

The general benefits of climate protection certificates are well known: they allow you to reduce your own carbon footprint in the short term.

Our USP? At Fair Recycling, we destroy harmful CFC and HFC gases, so we can prove that we have eliminated them. This is what makes us one of the most efficient climate protection projects in the world.

Disused refrigerators on the Industria Fox site

Our proven approach:
reducing instead of just compensating

CO₂ emissions are a major driver of climate change and therefore a global problem. As a result, it is crucial to reduce CO₂ emissions worldwide instead of removing CO₂ from the atmosphere, which is technically demanding and expensive.

So, there is only one option:

greenhouse gas emissions must be stopped at the source and CO₂ emissions must be effectively avoided.

Fair Recycling accomplishes this by disposing of refrigerators in an environmentally friendly manner in developing countries where there is no proper recycling system, such as in Brazilian favelas.

To make this possible, the Fair Recycling Foundation has partnered with Indústria Fox to establish a state-of-the-art refrigerator recycling facility, which was built near São Paulo to Swiss standards in 2010.

Favelas São Paulo Fair Recycling Foundation

2022: Visiting our refrigerator recycling project in Cabreúva, Brazil.

The atmosphere has no borders. Whether a tonne of CO₂ is emitted here or in Brazil makes no difference. What matters is reducing global greenhouse gas emissions.

Industria Fox Company refrigerator recycling

Our local partner: Indústria Fox

Since 2008, Fair Recycling has been combining recycling with climate action. We work with our local partner Indústria Fox to operate our pioneering project in Brazil, where end-of-life refrigerators containing CFCs and HFCs are recycled in an environmentally sound manner, helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect the global climate.

Since the start of our operations in 2010, our refrigerator recycling efforts have saved over 1,900,000 tons of CO₂ equivalents.

Our team on the ground:

Learn more

Dr Philipp Bohr

Owner of Indústria Fox

Marcelo Souza

CEO of Indústria Fox

And over 300 employees on site

Make a difference.
Become a climate partner and make a voluntary contribution to climate protection.

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What sets Fair Recycling apart: transparency, quality and a success story

Our foundation’s strong reputation, built without scandals or controversies, is the result of responsible conduct, integrity and full transparency. We guarantee quality that is continuously verified by external audits and is openly accessible at any time.

How our refrigerator recycling works

We recycle using state-of-the-art technology and a unique process that guarantees the efficient elimination of harmful gases to protect the environment – while fully complying with European standards for refrigerator recycling.

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Phase 1
In the first phase, valuable metals are recovered from the refrigerators. Around 25% of the climate-damaging gases, such as CFCs and HFCs, are extracted, while the remaining 75% remain trapped within the refrigerator’s insulation.

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Phase 2
In a sealed shredder, the insulation is separated from the plastic. At this stage, the greenhouse gases trapped in the insulation are released and extracted. The plastic fractions are then recycled.

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Phase 3
The third and final phase is what makes our climate protection project unique. The climate-damaging CFC and HFC gases extracted during the first two phases are irreversibly destroyed in a high-temperature thermal reactor, ensuring they can never be released into the environment.

When scrap turns back into treasure: the added impact of our recycling

In 2020, around 62 million tonnes of e-waste were generated worldwide, equivalent to more than 7 kg per person. An estimated 22.3% of this e-waste is not properly recycled, but instead processed under safety and environmental conditions that are often inadequate. Our recycling project not only protects the climate and the people involved in the recycling process, but also ensures that valuable raw materials, such as aluminium and copper, are recovered and returned to the circular economy, with a recycling rate of up to 95%.

Even if these emissions do not originate in Switzerland, they still affect us.

Through the import of numerous raw materials and consumer goods produced abroad, we also indirectly contribute to what are known as ‘grey emissions’. Yet the consequences often affect countries that have contributed little to the problem and are far less able to adapt to its impact. Fair Recycling promotes a fair redistribution, aiming to tackle the challenges of climate change in a holistic and equitable manner.