Topic Waste

In terms of volume of municipal solid waste per capita, Switzerland is among the top of the list internationally. The goals of using raw materials sustainably and systematically ensuring closed-loop material cycles have yet to be achieved. This must be done by designing products so that they use less material and energy to manufacture and use, are more durable and can easily be repaired, reused or recycled. Additionally, waste management must increasingly become a platform for (secondary) raw materials.

Information about the environmental impacts, separate collection and disposal of different types of waste can be found here.

In general, waste should undergo material recycling or thermal treatment. If this is not possible for technical reasons, or it is not economically viable, the waste is deposited in a landfill following suitable treatment.

The Swiss waste management economy is a well-functioning system with public and private stakeholders. This system is one component of a sustainable and comprehensive resources policy. Raw materials are scarce and expensive, and for this reason any material cycles that are still open must be closed. This is the goal that has been set within the context of the Green Economy for the improvement of resources efficiency.

The way in which waste is transferred by a waste-generating company to a disposal company is regulated in the Ordinance on Movements of Waste (OMW). Companies are required to obtain authorisations and to document movements in accordance with the classification of the waste. This ensures that the waste is only handled by companies that are able to dispose of the waste in an environmentally friendly manner.

Die Totalrevision der Technischen Verordnung über Abfälle (TVA) räumt der Vermeidung, Verminderung und gezielten Verwertung von Abfällen einen höheren Stellenwert ein. Um diese Erweiterung abzubilden, heisst sie neu «Verordnung über die Vermeidung und die Entsorgung von Abfällen» (VVEA). Die revidierte Verordnung ist am 1. Januar 2016 in Kraft gesetzt worden.

Secondary raw materials are materials that are recovered from waste or (end-of-life) products through recycling. The raw materials used include industrial, municipal and construction waste. These are separated, processed and/or concentrated into new materials or secondary raw materials. The use of secondary raw materials reduces the consumption of primary raw materials, thereby conserving natural resources and protecting the environment. Secondary raw materials are the basis of a functioning and sustainable circular economy.

Switzerland supports the development of a comprehensive, coherent, effective and efficient international regime for waste management, as well as improved co-operation with the private sector. Existing regulatory gaps should be closed.