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 an increased use of lightweight packaging made from paper- and cardboard-based materials, as well as other cellulose fiber products. Fiber-based lightweight packaging is used in combination with, for example, plastics and often has residual contamination compared to newspapers and cardboard boxes. The existing paper and cardboard recyclers in Switzerland are not specialized in these lightweight packaging materials, […]
Overview Collection systems Plastics in the construction industry
Plastics in the construction industry have so far received little attention with regard to circular economy. 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 the GHG emissions of the construction industry (Heeren & Hellweg 2019). The largest proportion of GHG emissions comes from the production and combustion of plastic products at the […]
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 in recent years and various projects are underway to optimize it, there is a lack of corresponding knowledge regarding commercial and industrial packaging (C&I packaging). To date, there have been no comprehensive statistics on the flow of quantities or quantities used […]
Circular Economy for Polypropylene (CE4PP)
Polypropylene (PP) is one of the most important types of plastic used today. Unfortunately, a closed loop has not yet been established for PP food packaging. However, the latest investigations by realcycle GmbH (formerly REDILO GmbH) and the KATZ Plastics Training and Technology Center show promising results regarding the technical possibilities. From this, clear requirements can be derived for a future collection and recycling system. 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
In Switzerland, more than 1 million tons of plastics are consumed annually, 22% of which are used by the construction industry. To extend the lifespan of these 220,000 tons of plastics, realcycle GmbH (formerly REDILO GmbH) launched the Circoplast project. In collaboration with stakeholders from the construction and plastics industries, recycling companies and the […]
Creating cycles for flexible packaging (films)
This pilot project, as part of the realCYCLE project enabled by the Migros Pioneer Fund, is being designed and implemented jointly with stakeholders in the plastics value chain. The overarching theme of realCYCLE is to understand and align the entire value chain of plastic packaging as a closed loop. The systemic requirements and framework conditions for scalability are being investigated, and concrete opportunities are being identified to enable comprehensive and [...]