Cleanliness is part of Switzerland’s image. But a closer look at the statistics shows: Every year, everyone produces hundreds of kilos of waste. World Clean Up Day from September 19 to 20 is intended to promote waste prevention.<\/p>\n
No time? blue News summarizes for you<\/p>\n
Switzerland produces 6.1 million tons of municipal waste every year. Countries such as Romania and Poland produce significantly less.What increases the mountain of waste: disposable products, the poor image of reuse, the lack of a circular economy and complex recycling structures.World Clean Up Day<\/a> takes place on September 19 and 20 – with campaigns throughout Switzerland.<\/p>\n In terms of municipal waste – i.e. waste from households, trade, commerce, offices and public institutions – Switzerland ranks high in Europe. And unfortunately in a negative sense.<\/p>\n A total of 6.1 million tons are produced here every year. That’s an average of 700 kilograms per capita. In other countries, the amount is significantly smaller: in Romania, for example, it is 303 kilograms, in Poland 364 kilograms.<\/p>\n So do we have a waste problem?<\/p>\n How clean is Switzerland?<\/p>\n Almost half of this waste is recycled or composted – but this also requires energy. It would therefore be best if we simply produced less waste. But how can this be achieved?<\/p>\n According to the Federal Office for the Environment, around 790,000 tons of plastic waste are produced in Switzerland every year. Almost half of this was used for less than a year – mostly as packaging.<\/p>\n The main problems<\/p>\n Many products are not designed for a circular economy – disposable packaging, plastic sleeves and a short shelf life dominate.Reusing instead of throwing away or repairing is still too rarely practiced. Waste avoidance has a low priority.Legal requirements for waste prevention could be strengthened and recycling could be made easier and more attractive.<\/p>\n Take part in World Clean up Day<\/p>\n You can take the first step yourself – on September 19 and 20 on World Clean Up Day. Millions of people in over 200 countries are taking part, and numerous campaigns are also taking place in Switzerland.<\/p>\n