PostedAugust 28, 2022, 1:03 p.m.
SuissePlastic will soon be collected nationwide
Swiss Recycling announces a nationwide plastic collection and recycling system for next year. The goal? By 2030, food in Switzerland should only be packaged with recycled plastic.
Currently, only half of the plastic collected can be recycled. The other half is cremated
Pretext image/AFP
A Swiss throws away around 150 kg of plastic every year. 20 years ago it was half as much. Today, the ecological consciousness of consumers is pushing them towards a circular economy, writes the “NZZ am Sonntag”. This is reflected in the multiplication of collection points in recent years: companies, municipalities and traders compete in the packaging recycling market.
This is about to change: the umbrella organization Swiss Recycling has announced a national system of
plastic collection and recycling for next year. The initiative is supported by the country’s four largest retailers, Migros, Coop, Aldi and Lidl, and more than 50 food and packaging manufacturers.
Pressure from Europe
The aim of the project is not only to collect plastic, but to increase the recyclability of packaging. Currently, only half of the plastic collected can be recycled. The other half is cremated. Experts estimate that this rate will soon rise to three quarters, particularly under political pressure from the European Union.
The latter has indeed set a requirement that all packaging must be recyclable by 2030. Industry giants like Nestlé are leading the way. The food company wants to use only reusable or recyclable containers by 2025.
(cle)