Environmental benefits massively increased through recycling
The environmental benefits of recycling have increased enormously over the past 25 years. This is shown by the current performance report of Swiss Recycling.
Switzerland is known for an advanced recycling system. On the occasion of the International Recycling Day, Swiss Recycling shows the benefits of recycling raw materials in Switzerland over the last 25 years.
Environmental benefits increased by a factor of 3.3 through recycling
The volumes collected separately have increased since 1992 from around 1.3 million tons to over 3.2 million tons today. At the same time, however, the volume of waste has also increased by around one third.
Nevertheless, over the last 25 years, the environmental benefit has increased by a factor of 3.3. The environmental benefit of recycling has therefore increased considerably: Recycling in Switzerland today saves as much environmental impact as 65% of the total Swiss heating oil consumption generates. That is as much as 12 million oil barrels of 200 liters each.
Thanks to the efforts of the recycling systems, the technical improvements, the numerous regulations as well as the high commitment of the population, the benefits of recycling are close to the optimum today.
Swiss Recycling publishes a biennial Performance Reportwhich shows the overall benefits of recycling as well as background information on recycling. This year, the focus is on the past and the future: What has happened since Swiss Recycling was founded in 1992? What are the possible future scenarios that will change recycling in the next 25 years?
Screw on the parameters
The report presents three possible future scenarios: The first assumes a reduction in the amount of waste - prevention is the focus Thus, by 2042, the amount of waste would decrease to the amount generated in 1992. Here, biowaste in particular could play an important role: It still accounts for around one-third of an average waste bag. Yet it is precisely this type of waste that is particularly easy to recycle.
The second scenario focuses on optimizing recycling; the third on the quality of the recyclate. The environmental benefit is clearly highest in the first scenario: 24% more environmental benefit could be generated with consistent waste avoidance; in the two others, the environmental benefit is only 4% and 2% more, respectively.
