Switzerland on the recycling of glass packaging

In 2003, Switzerland consumed a total of 31.4977 million tons of glass bottles. Of these, 300,000 tons were recovered through sorting and the recovery rate was as high as 95% (including about 5% of the packaging material).

Recycling of glass packaging (empty glass bottles and cans) in Switzerland has been carried out for several decades and has been widely accepted by the public. Glass recycling systems are known as "centralized disposal" systems. Most glass bottles are sent to a glass storage tank at a public collection point. Some villages and towns regularly come to collect glass bottles.

Most of the collected waste glass is melted to produce new glass containers. About a third of the broken glass is processed in a glass factory in Switzerland, one third of it is exported to foreign countries, and the rest is ground and used in construction as a supplement to sand and stone. The number of old glass used for construction and insulation materials and new glass bottles is increasing. The old glass is processed for many purposes. It is very important to maintain this system because the existing glass separation system can be flexibly adjusted according to the needs of various applications.

The collection of glass is mainly the responsibility of the local government. The Swiss Vetro Association manages the prepayments for glass packaging. Other organizations that play an important role in recovery are Vetro Recovery, Rhenus, Pro Uva, Vetrum, and Misapor.

The recycling of glass bottles was carried out in accordance with the newly revised "Beverage Packaging Regulations" on July 5, 2000. According to the provisions of the regulations, glass bottle processing fees began in 2002 and were included in the retail price of beverages. The bottle capacity was 0.02, 0.04, and 0.06 Swiss francs, respectively. Glass bottles recycling and management are conducted by Vetroswiss on behalf of the Swiss Agency for Environment, Forests and Landscapes.