More circulation, less waste: recycling plastic in Switzerland

Coya Vallejo Hägi

12.1.2026

Translation: Elicia Payne

Only nine per cent of Swiss plastic waste is recycled. Circular economy’s supposed to change things for the better. Yet, product designs, differing collection systems and the cost of new material are slowing down plastic recycling.

The circular economy is about delaying or avoiding the «final destination» of waste incineration plants. By using raw materials and products for longer, we reduce our impact on the environment.

In Switzerland, this kind of cycle works very well for certain materials: glass, waste paper, aluminium cans and PET bottles have return rates of between 81 and 95 per cent. Plastic, on the other hand, doesn’t look as positive. Just nine per cent of Swiss plastic waste makes it to a recycling plant. 85 per cent (83 per cent MSWI, 2 per cent cement works) is incinerated or «thermally recycled». And a mere six per cent is reused (document in German). Why is that?

Too many plastics, too little organisation

One of the main problems is the product design. «Bottle-to-bottle recycling has been working reliably for PET beverage bottles for years,» says Rahel Ostgen from SwissRecycle, a private competence centre based in Zurich. «Recycling more complex packaging is currently difficult because it consists of many different plastics.» Currently, Switzerland predominantly recycles plastic packaging. There are almost no recycling systems for other plastic products.

Take a look at the bottom of a shampoo or olive oil bottle, for example. There are seven different types of packaging plastics (PET, HDPE, PVC, LDPE, PP, PS and others), marked with a number in the triangle symbol. (page in German). It’s estimated that there are tens of thousands of polymer formulations.

But other substances in or on the plastic also play a role. «Composites and additives such as plasticisers, paints or UV stabilisers make recycling plastic more difficult,» says Odile Inauen, Managing Director of RecyPac – the Swiss industry organisation responsible for implementing the circular economy for plastic packaging and beverage cartons.

She also states confusing collection options as a major problem for consumers. Until now, each commune in Switzerland has been able to decide for itself how plastic packaging and drinks cartons should be collected, says Odile Inauen. «This has led to a patchwork of solutions that vary from region to region.»

This is exactly where RecyPac comes in – the industry organisation tasked with establishing a nationwide collection and recycling system for plastic packaging and beverage cartons in the interests of the circular economy. Their goal? To recycle 55 per cent of plastic packaging and 70 per cent of beverage cartons. Since the beginning of 2025, it’s been selling the «RecyBag» – a bag you can easily collect these recyclables in.

Recycling starts in the design phase

Manufacturers can also make a major contribution to the plastics cycle. All they have to do is «Design for Recycling (DfR)». «Products must be designed from the outset in such a way that they can be recycled to a high standard,» says Rahel Ostgen. This means that products should be made of the purest possible plastic and shouldn’t be glued or screwed together with other plastics unnecessarily.

This doesn’t just apply to plastic products. «Design for Recycling is also very important for the circular economy when it comes to plastic packaging and other materials,» stresses Odile Inauen.

It’s even better for the circular economy if manufacturers already use recyclate – i.e. recycled plastic as a raw material. Rahel Ostgen sums this up nicely:

This is how we can save resources and CO₂.

Recyclate is in demand – but new material’s often cheaper

The industry’s currently trying to implement this, too. «We’ve seen a continuous increase in the trend towards the use of recyclate among our members in recent years,» says Patrick Semadeni from Kunststoff.swiss, the industry association of the Swiss plastics industry.

One example from the list of members is the Bachmann Group, which commissioned a PET extrusion plant in Switzerland in April 2025. «This allows the company to produce new films for its packaging itself – by using old drinks bottles and food packaging.» In doing so, it runs a complete material cycle.

But it’s not that straightforward. «High energy prices and the shortage of skilled workers are making the recycling of plastics more expensive,» explains Patrick Semadeni. «It’s difficult to keep up with cheap new material from Asia, where energy is cheap and the industry’s often subsidised.» In addition, the quality of the recyclate must be improved – only then will more applications in industry be possible.

Greenpeace prefers reusable systems

Environmental organisations are more critical of the plastic recycling concept. «The idea that we can solve the plastic crisis by recycling is a lie spread by the big oil companies,» says Michelle Sandmeier from Greenpeace Switzerland. She’s concerned that resources are flowing into recycling systems instead of alternative solutions.

«Greenpeace is calling on the RecyPac association to set up a standardised reusable system throughout Switzerland instead of investing money and effort in setting up a recycling system with limited effectiveness.» Michelle Sandmeier has doubts about the quality of the recycled materials: «Plastic packaging that ends up in recycling isn’t usually turned back into new packaging, but into coarser plastic products,» she explains.

Downcycling: at some point the cycle ends

This is referred to as downcycling. During the recycling process, certain plastics lose quality, which is why they can only be processed into products for less demanding applications. A yoghurt pot turns into pallets or buckets. Or, cable conduits made from toothpaste tubes.

«Applying it to these kinds of products doesn’t have to be negative,» says Rahel Ostgen from SwissRecycle. Odile Inauen from RecyPac confirms: «It’s also important to consider how long and how often a recycled product is used.» Thanks to crates created through downcycling, for example, you can save on disposable packaging material. And this makes ecological sense.

At some point, however, the material cycle reaches its limits – both experts confirmed this in their interviews with Galaxus. This is when it really is at no point of return and ready for the waste incineration plant.

Less is still more

Even if the plastic cycle improves with standardised collection systems and intelligent product design, this probably isn’t a miracle weapon against plastic pollution.

For Greenpeace, a drastic reduction in plastic is imperative. The NGO wants global plastic production to be reduced by 75 per cent by 2040. Every year over 400 million tons of plastic is bought onto the market – and the figure’s likely to increase in the future.

Rahel Ostgen also expresses how important the overall reduction of plastic is. «Recycling is a key component of a sustainable circular economy – but it only works in conjunction with other measures.»

Coya Vallejo Hägi

Freelance Editor

hallo@cvhtext.de

«I want it all! The terrifying lows, the dizzying highs, the creamy middles!» – these words spoken by an iconic American TV celebrity could have been mine. It's a take on life I also apply to my job. What does this mean in concrete terms? That every story has its charm; no matter how small, large, exciting or trivial. The more eclectic the mix, the better. more

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