The Swiss Army Knife for Waste Management

1. Zeroing In On Waste The Swiss Army Knife for Waste Management Antigonish, Nova Scotia

2. Agenda • Context of waste management in Switzerland • Principles • Legislation • Tools for managing waste • non-economic • economic • Results • Conclusions

3. Priciples of Waste Management in Switzerland • Environment • Limit environmental pollution due to waste • Incineration plants:- fluegas scrubbers - flyash and slag treatment • Landfills:- strict regulation on construction of landfills - restriction of waste to be deposited (organic content etc.) - rehabilitation of old landfills

4. Priciples of Waste Management in Switzerland • Closed Material Cycles • Recover materials, if the impact is smaller than elimination and production of new material • Technologies must be technically feasible and economically justifiable • Separated collection of waste • Public - Private Partnerships • Resonsability of the private sector for recovering or elimina-tion of their products (EPR) • Agreements and sectoral solutions instead of state regula-tions, if the goal can be reached

5. Legal Context for Waste Management in Switzerland • Mission Statement for Waste Management in Switzerland (1986) • Disposal fee has to include the whole disposal chain until reuse or final disposal • Disposal fees should be included in retail prices • No subventions for waste treatment facilities (private or public) • Environmental Protection Law • Polluter - pays principle • 3RV-E • Encouragement of public - private partnerships

6. Legal Context for Waste Management (cont.) • Technical Ordinance on Waste • Obligation for Separate Collection of Waste • Ban for landfilling wastes with organic carbon content > 5 % • Obligation for Thermal Treatment of Residual Waste • Obligation to draw up Waste Managemenet Plans • Technical Specifications for Waste Treatment Plants • Ordinance on Beverage Container • Mandatory deposit for reusable packaging in glass, PET etc. • Mandatory deposit for disposable packaging in PVC • Mandatory prepaid disposal fee for glass containers • Obligation for seller of packaging in metal or PET to take all similar packaging back free of charge • Minimal recovery rate of 75% for containers in glass, alu and PET

7. Legal Context for Waste Management (cont.) • Ordinance on the Return, the Taking back and the Disposal of Electrical and Electronic Appliances • Obligation for customers to return used appliances to point of sale • Obligation for sellers to take back all appliances similar to those that are sold at this point of sale • Specification of standards for recovery and disposal technologies • Obligation for autorisation of recovery and disposal facilities

8. Non Economic Tools for Waste Management • Information Campains • Action Plans • Separate Collection of Wastes • Curbside collection of recyclable materials- Organic waste- Paper & cardboard • Collection of recyclable materials at points of sale- Electronic and electric appliances- PET beverage containers • Unattended collecting points- Glass containers- Used Oils (mineral & vegetable) • Eco-Centers- Hazardous waste- Metals

9. Economic Tools for Waste Management • Prepaid Disposal Fee • Prepaid Recycling Fee • Deposit • Polluter - Pays Principle (Pay-as-you-throw)

10. Mandatory Instruments in Switzerland • Mandatory deposit (min. 30 cts.) for: • all reusable packagingfor beverages (Glass, PET etc.) • disposable packagingfor beveragesin PVC • Mandatory prepaid disposal fee for : • Glass bottles2 - 6 cts. per bottle, depending on the size of the bottle, included in the retail price • Batteries and accumulators3.20$ per kg, included in the retail price

11. Financing System of Battery Recycling in Switzerland

12. Voluntary Instruments in Switzerland • Voluntary Prepaid Recycling Fee for: • Aluminium Beverage Cans3 cts. per can paid by fillers and importers/manufacturers of cans • PET Beverage Containers4 cts. per container sold by members of PRS (PET Recycling Switzerland) • Electric and Electronic Appliancesaccording to type of appliance: 1$ Hairdryer, 40$ Fridge • Tin Cans1 ct. per can paid by fillers and importers/manufacturers of cans

15. Pay-as-you-throw enhances Separation of Waste

16. Pay-as-you-throw enhances Separation of Waste

17. Waste Generation is strongly dependent on Taxation Systems

18. Financial Incentives cannot cause Miracles but ..... • are a strong instrument to support diversion of waste • push customers and producers alike to take responsibility for their behaviour • help municipalities to reduce costs for waste management • Introduction should not increase the tax burden • they may have a negative impact on the quality of separate collected waste

19. GDP and Waste Generation in Switzerland

20. Economic Tools a MUST for a succesful Waste Management Strategy • Tailored to meet the needs of a specific country/region • Includingfinancial incentives • Combination of voluntary and mandatory instruments • Public-Private Partnerships • Easy to use

21. Questions ?

22. Polluter - Pays Principle (Pay-as-you-throw) • History • Introduced by the first swiss municipalities in the 80’ (residential & ICI) • Introduced for the first time by all municipalities of a Canton in 1990 • Taxation by volume or weight ist now very common for more than 75% of the population of Switzerland • Results • Polluter-pays principle is widly accepted in Switzerland (>80%) • Taxation by volume/weight sensitises and motivates people • Polluter-pays principle enhances waste separation • Leads to a significant decrease in waste from housholds to incinerate • Separate collection systems have to be optimised (organic waste, paper & cardboard, glass) • Littering is a problem with or without taxation of waste, but taxation tends to increase littering