WASTE, OTHER ENERGY
6 % direct emissions in Switzerland
Control centre of a waste incineration plant
Photo: Adobe Stock
Waste as we know it today has only existed since the 18th century – before that, almost everything was recycled. Today, each person in Switzerland produces around 670 kg of household waste per year. This puts Switzerland among the frontrunners in Europe. Around half of this municipal waste is recycled, including the fermentation of organic waste into biogas. The remaining municipal waste is incinerated to generate energy. The Hagenholz waste incineration plant in Zurich generates around 560 GWh of energy per year. Of this, 450 GWh is heat, which can be used to heat around 45 000 homes (80 m², average age).
Overall, the largest amount of waste in Switzerland comes from construction activity: waste prevention, reuse and recycling are becoming increasingly important in this area in particular.
WHAT DOES NET ZERO LOOK LIKE IN THE WASTE SECTOR?
- The word ‘waste’ is superfluous, as we consider all materials, including wastewater, to be valuable resources for reuse (‘urban mining’).
- Products and materials flow in a continuous cycle through use, reuse, repair and recycling (circular economy).
- New products (e.g., electrical appliances) are designed to function for a long time and be easy to maintain and upgrade (extended service life; no planned obsolescence).
- Designers think in terms of life cycles and develop products that are optimally suited to the circular economy (eco-design).
- CO₂ emissions from waste recycling are captured and permanently stored (carbon capture and storage, CCS).
NECESSARY SOCIAL AND POLITICAL MEASURES
- Product and design standards prescribe a long service life and support the circular economy.
- Research and projects on CO₂ capture and storage are subsidised (by the state).
- Fees increase the pressure to avoid waste. The loss of energy production from waste recycling is offset by renewable energies.
ADDITIONAL BENEFITS FOR SOCIETY
- Items that would otherwise be discarded are now considered recyclable materials, and society’s view of materials and products changes.
- Thanks to recycling, innovative ways of reusing materials are developed.
- The circular economy makes countries less dependent on raw materials from abroad (e.g., metals).
HOW CAN YOU CONTRIBUTE?
- Reconsider your consumption habits: Avoid buying things that you rarely use – or even only use once – or buy second-hand. Share them with friends or donate them. Use exchange and lending platforms.
- Give unused items a new purpose, take them to flea markets or sell them online.
- Use repair shops to breathe new life into your broken favourite items and extend their lifespan.
87 MILLION TONNES OF WASTE PER YEAR IN SWITZERLAND
Data: FOEN, Waste and Resources Division (2020)
‘JUCH-AREAL’ RECYCLING CENTRE
The new ‘Juch-Areal’ recycling centre built by Disposal + Recycling Zurich (ERZ) in Zurich-Altstetten is all about the circular economy. The centre is intended to be a model not only in its construction but also in its operation in terms of the reuse and recycling of raw materials and other materials.
Photo: maaars architektur visualisierungen
AVOIDING FOOD WASTE
Every day, the ‘Schweizer Tafel’ food foundation collects around 30 tonnes of perfectly good, surplus food from retailers, wholesalers and industry and distributes it free of charge to over 500 social institutions.
Photo: Adobe Stock
CLIMATE-FRIENDLY SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANTS
Around 3% of greenhouse gases in Switzerland come from sewage treatment plants. These emissions have long been underestimated. Research and funding programmes are currently underway to reduce emissions.
Photo: Adobe Stock
WASTE BECOMES GOLD
Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a process for extracting gold from electronic waste. From 20 computer motherboards, they obtained a 22-carat gold nugget weighing 450 milligrams.
Photo: Alan Kovacevic (ETH Zurich)
WASTE AS A RESOURCE
New processes are increasingly being developed for the reuse of agricultural waste. For example, waste from olive oil production is used to produce high-quality antioxidants for use in cosmetics and foodstuffs.
Photo: Adobe Stock