6 points that show how good (or bad) Switzerland is at collecting plastic

Carrier bags, vegetable bags, foils, fruit bowls, biscuit packaging, plastic cups or refill bags – everything is made of plastic. The product remains very popular due to its wide range of applications. The only problem is: it is also very durable. According to estimates, there are already 150 million tons in the world’s oceans. And every year there are more. A plastic bottle remains on the seabed for about 450 years.

In Western Europe, the consumption of plastic per capita is expected to be around 150 kilograms. The need to collect plastic separately is increasing in Switzerland. However, there are not yet certified collection points everywhere. And not all plastic can be recycled.

A recent survey shows that about 75 percent of the Swiss are concerned about plastic waste in the sea and on beaches. We show where Switzerland currently stands.

According to the Federal Environment Agency FOEN, around one million plastics are used annually throughout Switzerland. This produces about 780,000 tons of plastic waste annually. 80 percent of this ends up in waste incineration plants, six percent is energetically recovered in cement factories. Only about 80,000 tons are recycled. So the potential is great.

In Switzerland, the association Schweizer Plastic Recycler VSPR has committed itself to ending the throwaway society. “By 2030, 50 percent of all plastics from households and other plastics from trade and industry in Switzerland should be mainly recycled,” he writes on his website. In 2019, the VSPR, together with the recycling company InnoRecycling and a plastic collection bag, as well as with public waste associations in eastern Switzerland, introduced a new label that guarantees that the plastic given away is processed in a professional manner.

In addition, plastic collection should be standardized so that it can be established throughout Switzerland. There is currently quite a mosaic of where and by which supplier plastic can be collected (see also point 4). The VSPR has therefore established a plastics recycling charter in Switzerland and issues quality marks to companies. This guarantees consumers that new raw materials are responsibly created from their plastic waste.

In March 2021, the “Motion Dobler” (promoting the circular economy) was adopted. There will be a collection of plastic waste throughout Switzerland. More on that in the last point.

The Swiss are great waste sorters. About 50 percent of household waste is recycled. The rest goes to the waste incineration plant. According to several studies, the environmental impact of a modern factory can be reduced by 40 to 80 percent if plastic recycling is used. For every kilogram of recycled plastic you save 2.83 kg of CO₂ compared to incineration.

Modern sorting systems enable economical and eco-efficient sorting. Switzerland does not have one for mixed household plastic waste. The nearest is in Voralberg (Austria). It is currently not worth having your own sorting system. This requires about 20,000 tons.

Since 2019, the Swiss Plastic Recyclers association has been reporting the quantities of plastic collected. Last year, about 60 percent more was collected than in 2019.

94.4 percent of the collected amount were target items (bottles, cups, trays, foils) and could be further processed. Two percent were PET beverage bottles, which are not primarily collected through plastic collection.

According to the VSPR monitoring report, 4,429 tons of recyclate could be recovered in 2021. The majority (52%) of this consists of polyethylene (PE), followed by PET (21%), polypropylene (PP) at 19 percent and polystyrene (PS, 7%).

Another 3604 tons were energetically extracted stocks. Most of these could be delivered to waste incinerators and cement factories for processing.

At the end of October, there were about 500 municipalities in Switzerland offering a VSPR-certified collection point.

It is striking that in Thurgau or Uri all municipalities have such collection points in operation. In other regions, however, the certified collection is hardly widespread. One of the reasons for this is the network operators, who usually work very regionally. The mosaic of different providers mentioned above is clearly displayed on the map. In addition, the label was launched in Thurgau in 2019. According to the VSPR, this is still too little known in French-speaking Switzerland.

It is not surprising that the largest plastic collectors can also be found in the canton of Uri. In 2021, it yielded about 4.1 kilograms per person.

But why isn't plastic collection regulated throughout Switzerland? The association certainly saw such a priority in 2020, but soon felt resistance from the monopoly holders – in this case the municipalities. Because plastic is part of municipal waste and may not be removed from it without a concession.

In May 2021, Migros also launched a plastic collection bag in Central Switzerland. From August, the offer was also extended to the Migros cooperatives in Fribourg and Vaud. In the meantime, both the Federation of Migros Cooperatives and the central Swiss community association REAL have been awarded the label.

But something is also happening at a national level. In March 2021, National Councilor Marcel Dobler adopted the motion “Promotion of the Circular Economy” in the Council of States. The question is no longer if, but when and how a national collection is created.

In addition, the parliamentary initiative "Strengthening the Swiss Circular Economy" was submitted to the National Council Commission for Environment, Spatial Planning and Energy. In June 2022, the National Council discussed an extension of the deadline to the summer session of 2024. In the canton of Zurich, the counter-proposal for the "circulation initiative" was accepted in September 2022 with 89 percent of the vote.

The Swiss Plastics Recyclers Association held its fifth "Recycling Bar" on Wednesday, November 30, where industry and political experts answered important questions. It became clear that the challenge remains coordination and harmonisation.

Swiss Recycling created the "Collection 2025". "Organizations throughout the value chain are working towards a circular economy for plastic packaging and beverage cartons," writes media spokeswoman Viviane Weber when asked.

They are currently "setting up a national collection and recycling system for plastic packaging and beverage cartons with the right organization and financing solution." To arrive at a widely accepted solution, all players in the value chain are involved. "In early 2023, the conditions for the national coordinated system should be clarified and a structure should be made possible."

It is currently unclear what the Swiss plastic collection will look like in the future. Just like when it's actually going to start. Details to be clarified in 2023.