QualiCycle – Initiative for high-quality plastic recycling in Switzerland
Around 790,000 tons of plastic waste are produced in Switzerland every year - but only a fraction of this is recycled. Although plastics offer many advantages for our everyday lives, their current use and disposal cause major environmental pollution and an enormous consumption of resources. The pressure to develop circular solutions is growing, particularly in the area of food packaging. The EU demands [...]
LCA Fabric Loop
Circular textiles – working together to reduce environmental impact in the fashion industry Fabric Loop is a Swiss industry initiative founded in November 2024 by renowned textile companies in collaboration with the industry association Swiss Textiles. The aim is to establish a functioning circular textile system in Switzerland – for example, through an advance circular contribution to finance infrastructure, sorting, reuse, repair, etc.
Teaching development Resource management
Sustainable resource management is an important part of the environmental engineering degree program at ETH Zurich. In the lectures Waste Technology, Waste Recycling Technologies and Waste Management and Circular Economy, Bachelor's and Master's students are taught the necessary knowledge and skills. Between September 2019 and February 2025, Dr. Melanie Haupt and Dr. Maja Wiprächtiger took over the management of all three lectures. [...]
Circular economy measures for Aarau
With its current Smart City strategy, the city of Aarau is pursuing the goal of taking on a pioneering role in the resource-efficient economy and the creation of closed loops. As part of this strategy, the procurement, use, reuse and disposal of products is being rethought in order to sensitize society and the economy to the topic of the circular economy. Various strategies are already being [...]
Reffnet case, City of Schlieren
The city of Schlieren has set five key priorities in its 2022–2026 government program. One of these is dedicated to climate change, with the aim of actively promoting the circular economy. In a half-day workshop, we worked with experts and representatives from the city administration to develop ideas for underpinning these goals with concrete measures. We began by […]
All-in-One: The Revolution in Plastics Recycling
Modern life is unimaginable without plastics, but the environmental impact of plastic waste must be drastically reduced. Currently, only about 8% of the plastics used in Switzerland are recycled. However, there is enormous potential in material recycling: increased material recycling is the key to conserving resources, reducing CO2 emissions and strengthening the […]
Reffnet Case: Packaging Optimization for Kontron
Kontron Electronics AG, based in Rotkreuz, develops and manufactures electronic products for mechanical engineering, medical technology, and environmental technology, among other fields. Its standard products include touch panels, industrial controllers, I/O modules, Raspberry Pi, and several others. As part of this Reffnet case, we were asked to provide comprehensive consulting services on packaging optimization for the company. The goal was to optimize the various […]
Sustainable Recycling Pathways for Fiber-Based Lightweight Packaging
Technical innovations and political efforts are leading to increased use of lightweight packaging made from paper and cardboard (P+C) based materials and other cellulose fiber products. Fiber-based lightweight packaging is used in combination with plastics, for example, and often contains residual contamination compared to newspapers and cardboard boxes. Existing P+C recyclers in Switzerland are not specialized in this type of lightweight packaging, […]
Packaging Optimization for Sportswear
The project aimed to sustainably optimize various cardboard packaging solutions for Odlo. Founded in 1946, the company is globally recognized for its outdoor apparel. In addition to supporting top athletes, Odlo also offers a wide range of products for the general public. Odlo is now facing new challenges, increasingly encountering the desire for less plastic, fewer […]
Overview of collection systems for plastics in the construction industry
Plastics in the construction industry have received little attention in terms of circular economy to date. This is despite the fact that a large proportion of plastics are used in the construction industry today (kunststoff.swiss 2023) and that they also contribute significantly to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the construction industry (Heeren & Hellweg 2019). Most GHG emissions come from the production and incineration of plastic products [...].