Just under 90% of Zurich citizens on Sunday said yes to the idea, which the cantonal government proposed as an alternative to an initiative by the young Green Party. All political parties were in favour of the idea.
The canton’s constitution will therefore be adapted to include an article calling on authorities to create frameworks for a “considerate treatment of resources, materials, and goods, as well as the closing of materials loops”.
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The circular economy: a new way of making and using things
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Switzerland is good at collecting and recycling materials. But various hurdles stand in the way of developing a circular economy in other sectors.
Authorities hope the article will mean more attention is paid to the question of how raw materials are used, and re-used. It’s also assumed that gains in efficiency will help to reduce not only waste, but also energy use.
The Neue Zürcher Zeitung newspaper writes that each resident of Zurich produces an average of three tonnes of waste each year; two tonnes of this is then recycled. Most waste comes from the construction sector, the paper says.
Zurich is the first of the 26 Swiss cantons to include the circular economy in its constitution. Earlier this month, Bern’s cantonal parliament accepted a Green Party postulate calling for the setting up of more infrastructure and incentives to boost the circular economy.
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Switzerland strives for a more sustainable economy
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With consumption and inflation on the rise, Switzerland could do more to transition to a circular economy and recycle billions of tonnes of materials.
What factors should be taken into account when inheriting Swiss citizenship abroad?
Should there be a limit to the passing on of Swiss citizenship? Or is the current practice too strict and it should still be possible to register after the age of 25?
Swiss government wants mandate to handle drug shortages
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The Swiss government wants the power take action in the event of critical medicine shortages in future, rather than cantons and the private sector.
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The Bern Commercial Criminal Court has thrown out a fraud case against Postbus due to a "serious deficiency" in police procedures.
Swiss wage protection measures agreed ahead of EU deal
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Trade unions and Swiss cantons agree on domestic measures to protect wages, to pave the way for a treaty cementing future ties with the EU.
Swiss commodities trader Glencore faces $1.6bn loss
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According to preliminary figures, Swiss commodities trader and mining group Glencore slipped into the red with a $1.6 billion loss in 2024.
Diplomat murder case: defendant to appeal rape conviction
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A man acquitted of murdering an Egyptian diplomat in Geneva in 1995, will appeal his conviction for other offences, including rape.
The battle against global e-waste dumping reaches tipping point
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Switzerland is pushing to modify an international accord so that all e-waste shipped abroad gets prior consent from destination countries.
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