In the first 25 years, i.e. between 1997 and 2021, a total of 665 projects received funding of around CHF 84 million in all relevant environmental areas:
In some areas such as waste, recycling and raw materials, and protection against emissions, technological solutions are particularly suitable to address the environmental problems. For example, a project addressing phosphorus recovery from sewage sludge or one to develop a process for separating dioxin from fly ash from waste incineration plants received funding. In the field of biodiversity, the focus is more on monitoring; for example, a procedure has been developed to automatically record the number of fish swimming through a fish passage and identify the species.
As part of the measures to strengthen resource efficiency and the competitiveness of the Swiss economy, the presence of Swiss companies at major international environmental trade fairs and various other activities was also financed. Since 2014, the Swiss network for improving resource efficiency in businesses, Reffnet, has received federal funding.
ARAMIS database
All projects and their details are recorded in ARAMIS, the federal research database. They can be retrieved by searching in the "project search" field using keywords or the abbreviation "UTF".
Projects examples
Every 5 years, the FOEN provides the Federal Assembly with a report on the impact of environmental technology promotion on behalf of the Federal Council. The projects that receive funding have a clear benefit for the environment, as analysed in detail on the basis of individual examples as part of an evaluation of environmental technology funding [link auf Evaluationsbericht]. A summary of the evaluation findings and a general overview of the 2017–2021 funding period can be found in the Federal Council report (Umwelttechnologieförderung 2017–2021). Most of the projects below feature in this report.
Reffnet - Capacity building and consultancy for greater efficiency:
Reffnet 3.0 (Schweizer Netzwerk zur Verbesserung der Ressourceneffizienz in Unternehmen Phase 3) - Grunddaten (de, fr, it)
Fertiliser from urine
The process developed and patented by Eawag allows nitrogen and phosphorus to be recovered from separately collected urine and processed as fertiliser. The Eawag spin-off Vuna GmbH holds the licence for the use and further development of the technology. A UTF project involved developing a mobile system to test and demonstrate the process on site. Vuna partner Laufen has meanwhile developed a new type of toilet which separates urine. This urine diversion toilet has already been established on a large scale at Eawag along with the Vuna treatment plant and is due to be installed at other institutions such as EPFL. (Umwelttechnologieförderung 2017–2021 p. 24, Vuna-Mobil (Vuna-Mobil: Düngerproduktion aus Urin) – Grunddaten) (de, fr, it)
Fireforce – filterless wood heating systems
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Fireforce has developed a firing system for woodchips. Thanks to the optimally controlled combustion process, the emission requirements of the Air Pollution Control Ordinance can be met even without a downstream filter or prior drying of the wood. The process also has a high thermal efficiency and thus saves on material and energy. The process was first tested with a 130kW system and then further developed to be used with a 500kW boiler by the end of the project. The 500kW boiler in Champagne (VD) is now connected to the commune's district heating network. (Umwelttechnologieförderung 2017–2021 p. 26, Fireforce – Chauffage avec combustion optimisée – Phase 2 (Prototype mobile de chauffage à bois Fireforce avec combustion optimisée – Phase 2) - Grunddaten) (de, fr, it)
Phosphorous recycling from sewage sludge
The Environmental Protection Act requires the recovery of phosphorus from sewage sludge with the aim of reusing it as a nutrient in agriculture or as phosphoric acid in industry, thereby conserving primary resources. However, some of the existing processes have not yet been tested on an industrial scale, are unsuitable for the conditions at Swiss wastewater treatment plants or the resulting product cannot be used as a source material, e.g. for fertiliser, owing to its chemical form or heavy metal contamination. Potential technologies were tested on an industrial scale in a number of projects and critical points identified. In none of the projects was it possible to put the results directly into practice. However, they provide a basis for further decision-making and further development, and are thus an important step towards the practical application of the technologies. (Umwelttechnologieförderung 2017–2021 p. 27, P-Rückgewinnung ARA Thunersee (Machbarkeitsstudie Phosphor-Recycling ARA Thunersee) – Grunddaten) (de, fr, it)
Permanent storage of carbon in concrete
In order to reduce the high carbon emissions from concrete, the company Neustark, together with ETH Zurich, has developed a process that permanently stores carbon from the air in recycled concrete granulate. The process was tested on an industrial scale in the project. Not only does this bind carbon, the improved mechanical properties of the granulate also mean that less cement needs to be added compared to untreated recycled granulate, which leads to further savings in greenhouse gas emissions. (Umwelttechnologieförderung 2017–2021 p. 30, Recarb – CO2 negatives Betonrecycling mittels Karbonatisierung – Grunddaten) (de, fr, it)
Weed control along SBB railway tracks
As an alternative to the use of highly problematic glyphosate to control weeds and thus ensure the safety of SBB's track systems, tests with scalding water were conducted. The cost of the hot water treatment is offset by the advantages of not using glyphosate. A parallel image survey showed that less vegetation control is necessary in the track area than previously assumed; this appears to be the greatest environmental impact of the scalding water technique. Depending on the location, mowing is also a successful vegetation control method, or no vegetation control is necessary at all. (Umwelttechnologieförderung 2017–2021 p. 32, Heisswasser als Glyphosat Alternative für den Bahnnetzunterhalt (Heisswasser als Glyphosat Alternative für den Bahnnetzunterhalt) – Grunddaten) (de, fr, it)
Last modification 24.06.2025
