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 [...]
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 […]
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, […]
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 [...].
Achieving a Sustainable Shopping Basket with Life Cycle Assessments
Project Background: Weita AG, part of the internationally operating Bunzl Group, distributes consumables in Switzerland. Their product range includes approximately 100,000 products in the categories of Foodservices, Cleaning, General, Safety & Hygiene, and Healthcare. Sustainability is becoming increasingly important, and there is a growing demand for sustainable product alternatives. Various sustainability indicators can be used in this context [...]
VOBU Study «Requirement for Material Recycling of EPS and XPS Insulation Materials»
Initial situation Insulation materials greatly reduce the energy consumption of buildings. However, their production contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions in the construction industry. The production and energy recovery of expanded polystyrene (EPS) alone generates around 130,000 tons of CO₂ equivalents every year in Switzerland. With the predicted increase in deconstructed insulation materials, the question of sustainable recycling is becoming increasingly [...]
Survey of industrial and commercial packaging
Packaging accounts for 40% of plastic consumption and a large proportion of cardboard consumption. However, while consumer goods packaging has been the focus of attention in recent years and various projects are underway to optimize it, there is a lack of relevant knowledge when it comes to commercial and industrial packaging (C&I packaging). To date, there have been no comprehensive statistics on the volume flows or the materials used [...].
Circular Economy for Polypropylene (CE4PP)
Polypropylene (PP) is one of the most important types of plastic used today. However, it has not yet been possible to establish a closed loop for PP food packaging. The latest research by realcycle GmbH (formerly REDILO GmbH) and the KATZ Plastics Training and Technology Center shows promising results in terms of technical possibilities. This allows clear requirements for a future collection and recycling system to be derived. In the […]
The future of separate collection of recyclable materials in Switzerland
The aim of the study was to demonstrate how waste collections in Switzerland should be structured in the future. Does Switzerland still have ecological and economic potential for further (separate) collections? If so, which specific products and packaging are involved and how should they be prioritized? Because in terms of the principle of eco-efficiency and impact efficiency [...]
Circoplast – Circular Construction Plastics
Over one million tons of plastics are consumed in Switzerland every year - around 22% of which are used by the construction industry. The Circoplast project was launched to extend the service life of these 220,000 tons of plastics and close the material cycle. In collaboration with players from the construction and plastics industry, recycling companies and the support of [...]