Swiss packaging businesses sign pact to establish national plastic and carton collection system

15 Mar 2022 --- More than 50 organizations in Switzerland have signed the “Closing cycles for plastic packaging and beverage cartons” pact, which marks the start of constructing a national collection system for plastic packaging and beverage cartons. 

As part of the Collection 2025 project, organizations along the entire value chain are working on a circular economy for plastic packaging and beverage cartons – from packaging producers, brand owners and retailers to recyclers and disposers. 

The pact represents a move away from a linear system toward an environmentally sustainable circular economy, says Swiss Recycling.

Rahel Ostgen, project manager at Collection 2025 tells PackagingInsights: “During 2022, the project team (Swiss Recycling and REDILO) together with partners are creating the prerequisites for a coordinated system throughout Switzerland.”

Furthermore, Ostgen highlights the system’s implementation will be possible from 2023 onward while “the broad involvement of the stakeholders is important.” 

Swiss Recycling stresses the aim is to introduce a Switzerland-wide harmonized, cost and eco-efficient, consumer-friendly and coordinated recycling management system for plastic packaging and beverage cartons.

The pact signatories say they are committed to important circular economy principles, such as the consistent application of design for recycling guidelines, and want to set a “clear signal” for the vision of a circular economy for packaging in Switzerland by 2030.

The pact marks a move away from a linear system and toward an environmentally sustainable circular economy.Combining preferences
When asked about the challenges of getting a collective of 50 organizations to agree to the project’s specifics, Ostgen explains that different actors along the value chain have different interests and priorities. 

“These [different priorities] had to be bundled and a compromise found, but without diluting the pact and while showing a strong commitment.”

“We actively sought cooperation with the industry and involved them in the process through the various committees of the Collection 2025 project.”

A national solution
Patrik Geisselhardt, managing director of Swiss Recycling, says the pact is an “important sign that a nationally coordinated solution is coming.” Furthermore, closing plastic cycles is seen as an important step in protecting the climate and environment. 

“There are various prerequisites, such as design for recycling for a [environmentally] sustainable circular economy. We can only achieve this in cooperation with all players along the value chain,” adds Dr. Melanie Haupt, co-managing director of REDILO. 

Swiss Recycling and REDILO are working together on building a system for a national collection system for plastic packaging and beverage cartons and involving everyone from manufacturers to retailers and consumers to collection points and recyclers.

Ostgen asserts the pact is an “important” sign that a nationally coordinated solution in Switzerland is coming and that all actors are collaborating.Pact advantages
Ostgen asserts the pact is an “important” sign that a nationally coordinated solution in Switzerland is coming and that all actors are working together. 

“Only the national cooperation and integration of all actors along the value chain from product design to the use of secondary materials can fully exploit the advantages.”

According to Ostgen, advantages include:

• Higher recycling quantities can be achieved
• Synergies can be realized
• The costs per ton can be reduced and the polluter-pays financing can be coordinated and ensured at the national level
• Communication with the population is simplified
• The transparency of material flows can be ensured with a target system
• The ecological benefit is increased
• Political and societal implications

Swiss Recycling notes that the political agenda is pushing for more plastic to be collected in Switzerland.

Furthermore, for consumers, the pact means that all the foundations for the implementation of a collection system will be created and that in the next few years all Swiss people will be able to return plastic packaging and beverage cartons nationally. 

Swiss Recycling says various media reports show that there is a need for such a collection. The project aims to understand exactly how, where and from when the national collection can be implemented.

“Collection mode and location are still being worked out in the project and various options are being evaluated,” says Ostgen.

“It is important to use existing infrastructures and synergies,” she concludes.

By Natalie Schwertheim