Indicators waste

Recycling rate

Although waste incineration in Switzerland no longer represents a major environmental burden in terms of disposal, it is desirable that as large a proportion as possible of the municipal waste is collected separately and recycled. This reduces the consumption of resources and saves energy. The recycling rate thus indicates how large the proportion of municipal solid wastes is that is consigned to resource-conserving disposal.

Assessment of the state
good good
Assessment of the trend
positive positive
Separately collected waste 2023: 52 Separately collected waste 2022: 52 Separately collected waste 2021: 52.42 Separately collected waste 2020: 53 Separately collected waste 2019: 53 Separately collected waste 2018: 52 Separately collected waste 2017: 53 Separately collected waste 2016: 53 Separately collected waste 2015: 53 Separately collected waste 2014: 54 Separately collected waste 2013: 51 Separately collected waste 2012: 50 Separately collected waste 2011: 50 Separately collected waste 2010: 50 Separately collected waste 2009: 51 Separately collected waste 2008: 50 Separately collected waste 2007: 51 Separately collected waste 2006: 50 Separately collected waste 2005: 51 Separately collected waste 2004: 49 Separately collected waste 2003: 48 Separately collected waste 2002: 47 Separately collected waste 2001: 47 Separately collected waste 2000: 45 Separately collected waste 1999: 43 Separately collected waste 1998: 44 Separately collected waste 1997: 42 Separately collected waste 1996: 41 Separately collected waste 1995: 39 Separately collected waste 1994: 37 Separately collected waste 1993: 33 Separately collected waste 1992: 32 Separately collected waste 1991: 30 Separately collected waste 1990: 29 Separately collected waste 1989: 27 Separately collected waste 1988: 26 Separately collected waste 1987: 25 Separately collected waste 1986: 24 Separately collected waste 1985: 23

Data for the graph: Excel
Source: FOEN
Comment

The recycling rate doubled between 1985 and 2014 and has remained largely stable since then. Today, more than half of all municipal solid wastes are already collected separately. This strong increase can be attributed, among other things, to the introduction of the refuse bag charge in the 1990s. This created a financial incentive for collecting separately and at the same time more easily reachable collection points were created. The potential of separate collections in Switzerland could be further optimised in certain areas, (other possible optimisation procedures such as the recycling of plastics from agriculture, the construction industry and from households are currently being considered), but is on the whole at a very high level. For this reason status and development are evaluated positively. The satisfactory development in recycling should not however conceal the fact that the avoidance of waste remains the most energy- and resource-friendly solution.

International comparison

Eurostat produces statistics for the participating countries on the quantities of separately collected and incinerated municipal solid waste for each type of material. Switzerland compares very well with other European countries because of its well developed and efficient collection operations.

Method

This Indicator surveys the quantity of separately collected municipal solid waste (paper and board, compostable wastes, glass containers, aluminium, PET beverage containers, sheet steel containers, textiles, batteries and electroscrap) as a percentage of total municipal solid waste (MSW). Every year, FOEN collects data on the quantity of MSW incinerated at the 29 Swiss MSW incineration plants. The responsible, in some cases private-sector, collection organizations collect data on quantities of separately collected MSW fractions such as paper, glass or electroscrap and report annually to FOEN. For beverage containers, FOEN commissions the Swiss association for environmentally sound beverage containers (Schweizerischer Verein für umweltgerechte Getränkeverpackungen SVUG) to produce annual statistics.

Basis for assessment of the trend
Targeted trend Initial value Final value Variation in % Observed trend Assessment
Growth Average 2000-2002 Average 2021-2023 12.53% Growth positive
 
Last updated on: 29.01.2025

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