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When it comes to recycling, Switzerland is one of the leaders in European comparison. But also when it comes to waste. Compared to the EU, Switzerland ranks fifth with 703 kilograms per capita per year.
One big problem: plastic. While Switzerland recycles a total of 52 percent of its waste, about 90 percent of the plastic is still in the waste incineration plant (WIP), according to Greenpeace. According to figures from the Federal Statistical Office, a Swiss citizen produces 93 kilograms of plastic waste every year.
But if Switzerland is so strong at recycling, why not plastic?
“Other countries started collecting mixed materials much earlier,” says Patrik Geisselhardt (53), Managing Director of Swiss Recycling. It took a long time to reach a consensus in Switzerland. We are now confident that plastic recycling makes sense. For every kilogram of plastic you collect, you save approximately 2.5 kilograms of CO₂.
“The goal is a nationwide uniform collection system for plastic packaging and Tetrapacks. However, this still takes time,” says Geisselhardt. The collection system is scheduled for 2025. “We hope to implement the system this year.”
But there are already solutions: recycling company Innorecycling, like Migros, has developed its own collection bag. Consumers can fill up their plastic waste and deliver it to one of the 490 collection points.
“As a rule, more than half of the plastic waste collected that reaches us is recycled,” says Markus Tonner (53), Managing Director of Innorecycling. About 64 percent is recycled.
However, not all packaging is recyclable. In composite packaging, several materials are glued together, so they are not suitable. “About 34 percent of the waste collected ends up in the cement industry and is used instead of coal,” explains Tonner. The packaging is thus thermally recycled. One kilogram of plastic replaces about 1.5 kilograms of coal.
About two percent of goods collected go to MSWI, such as toys or flip-flops. Only all kinds of packaging are collected, but the potential is huge: around 10,000 tons of plastic was collected in 2022 – 100,000 tons may be possible.
However, used plastic is not new food packaging. This is only allowed for recycled PET. Instead, new products such as cable trays or flower pots are made from plastic.
At the same time, Tonner puts this into perspective: “Plastic isn’t just bad. It performs important tasks like keeping food fresh.” Because longer-lasting food means less waste, and food waste is much worse for the environment.
Plastic is usually made from petroleum. Because oil is a limited resource, plastic cannot be produced indefinitely. Sooner or later you need an alternative.
Another problem with plastic is that it practically does not decompose. This means that once plastic enters the environment, it will not disappear as quickly. It takes hundreds to thousands of years for plastic to decompose. And there is enough plastic on the ground or in the sea. In Switzerland alone, around 2,700 tonnes of plastic end up in soil or water each year.
Plastic also contains toxic substances such as plasticizers. There are fears that these could harm people. Or the environment: Three-quarters of the waste in the sea is plastic. There it decomposes into so-called microplastics. The ultra-small particles then enter the bodies of marine animals and damage them.
Plastic is usually made from petroleum. Because oil is a limited resource, plastic cannot be produced indefinitely. Sooner or later you need an alternative.
Another problem with plastic is that it practically does not decompose. This means that once plastic enters the environment, it will not disappear as quickly. It takes hundreds to thousands of years for plastic to decompose. And there is enough plastic on the ground or in the sea. In Switzerland alone, around 2,700 tonnes of plastic end up in soil or water each year.
Plastic also contains toxic substances such as plasticizers. There are fears that these could harm people. Or the environment: Three-quarters of the waste in the sea is plastic. There it decomposes into so-called microplastics. The ultra-small particles then enter the bodies of marine animals and damage them.
Packaging for Tonner is a resource that would otherwise not be available in Switzerland. However, for those who advocate recycling, it is clear: “Unnecessary plastic should be avoided. Conventional plastic should be kept as long as possible in the circular economy.”
The collection bag also has another positive effect, according to Tonner: “When the consumer sees how much plastic waste it produces, it creates awareness.” This positive pressure is essential for consumer behavior.
Greenpeace sees this differently. The environmental organization is skeptical about plastic recycling. Because if recycling works well, efforts to reduce plastic or switch to reusable systems are reduced. “All measures to optimize the existing waste system without a systemic conversion to reusable waste are purely green laundering,” says Greenpeace.
Greenpeace argues that the environmental benefits of recycling plastics are very small. If a person in Switzerland separately collected 70 percent of their plastic waste for a year, it would be as if they had collected it without beef ribeye. Greenpeace cites a study commissioned by several federal agencies in 2017.
Source :Blick
I’m Tim David and I work as an author for 24 Instant News, covering the Market section. With a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism, my mission is to provide accurate, timely and insightful news coverage that helps our readers stay informed about the latest trends in the market. My writing style is focused on making complex economic topics easy to understand for everyone.
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