Switzerland has one of the worst plastic recycling rates in Europe. In 2022, the country’s recyclers collected 9,400 tonnes, 5% of the estimated total plastic volume. Only 5,000 tonnes were recycled into new materials, with the remaining being incinerated. That puts Switzerland’s plastic recycling rate in 2022 at a shocking 2.66%, compared with the European Union’s average of around 38% in 2020.
The Association of Swiss Plastic Recyclers (VSPR, from the German) aims to bring the recycling rate for households’ plastics and other plastics from trade and industry to 50%. To that end, it has started leading a circular economy initiative for plastics in construction, starting with pipes.
Called #TakingForward, the initiative aims to build a Switzerland-wide logistics network enabling repurposing, recycling, or reuse of plastic pipes that have reached the end of their service life. It was launched by GF Piping Systems, a provider of flow solutions, in November 2022, with the VSPR taking in charge in December 2023.
The consortium brings together over ten organisations spanning the Swiss plastic value chain, including pipe producers, wholesalers, construction, renovation, and demolition companies, logistics providers, as well as recycling businesses. Participating companies include the Swiss plastic technology platform KATZ; InnoRecycling; heating solutions provider Meier Tobler; engineering services company Burkhalter Group; plastic producer MCAM Symalit; extruder HakaGerodur; amongst others.
Under the leadership of the VSPR, the initiative will be managed by Michael Gasser, solutions manager circular economy at the Swiss Post. Gasser's mandate is to oversee thematic pilot projects aimed at addressing key technical and organisational challenges associated with the development of a future-proof logistics network.
“We are extremely proud to have been the driving force behind #TakingForward for the past year,” said Joost Geginat, president of GF Piping Systems. “I am confident that VSPR and Michael Gasser will do an excellent job in taking over and leading the efforts to turn the ambitious vision of the founding members into reality. By building an efficient plastic piping waste collection system in Switzerland, we will lead by example and together make an important contribution towards a circular economy,” he concluded.