Monitoring system for mixed plastic collection in Switzerland
In Switzerland, there is a wide range of different offers for the collection and recycling of plastics. Often media reports and statements by various stakeholders publicly question the ecological benefit of these still rather new and small collection systems. The Swiss Plastics Recycler Association aims to increase transparency in the collection and recycling of mixed plastics by means of a charter for collection systems and a joint monitoring system, and to meet the high quality standards of the recycling industry and consumers. Empa has developed this monitoring system, which will be tested in 2020 and open to all providers of plastics collections from 2021.
In Switzerland there is a wide range of different offers for the collection and recycling of plastics, which are legally classified as municipal waste.The Swiss Plastic Recycler Association (VSPR), as an industry organisation, has drawn up a charter for plastics recycling in Switzerland. The Swiss Plastic Recycler Association (VSPR), as an industry organisation, has drawn up a charter for plastics recycling in Switzerland. This charter is intended to guarantee a high quality of collection and recycling in terms of environment, quality, safety and health. Based on this charter, Empa has developed a monitoring system for the collection and recycling of mixed plastics, with the involvement of stakeholders. The monitoring system consists of verifiable requirements, i.e. criteria for the operation of plastics collections based on the Charter and legal requirements, and the monitoring manual which regulates the processes and competencies.
As an industry solution, the monitoring system should enable a credible monitoring of plastic collections. Collection systems can voluntarily submit to it by participating in a licensing system. The monitoring system creates an independent control body at Sofies-Emac AG, which audits the system operators with regard to compliance with the requirements and assesses their conformity.In addition to ensuring the proper processing of plastic waste, the monitoring system will also enable the regular collection of harmonised parameters via various collection systems and the publication of consolidated volume flow and financial flow information. The requirements and the monitoring system based on them will be tested in 2020 as a pilot project with selected system operators. From 2021, the auditing is to be open to all collection systems. The requirements and the monitoring system were designed with a special focus on the mixed collection of plastics via collection bags sold in advance. However, an extension to other types of collection systems should be possible with little effort.
The newest version of the requirements and monitoring handbook are available of the webpage of the Swiss Plastic Recycler Association (VSPR)
