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.
Has your continent reached its peak or is there still potential for economic growth?
Some regions of the world are on an upward trajectory with the promise of a steadily improving future. Where do you live? And in which direction is your region or continent developing?
Swiss citizens will also participate in flotilla against Gaza blockade
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Swiss citizens are also taking part in the worldwide flotilla that intends to break the sea blockade in Gaza. The Waves of Freedom Association (WOFA) plans to leave with five boats loaded with baby milk powder and water filters.
Switzerland commemorates Italian partisans who died escaping fascists
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Italian partisans tried to flee to Switzerland in October 1944. However, two died and a third was injured in a hail of bullets between their fascist pursuers and Swiss border guards in Ticino. They are now commemorated by so-called stumble stones.
Switzerland follows the EU with new sanctions against Russian oil
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Switzerland is stepping up its sanctions against Russia in the context of the war in Ukraine. The measures are aimed at Russia's oil windfall. The European Union (EU) approved the same package of sanctions, the 18th since the start of the war, in mid-July.
Swiss government makes a case for e-ID ahead of referendum
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The electronic-ID is secure and easy to use and its use is voluntary and free of charge: these are the arguments the government made in its campaign for a 'Yes' vote on the e-ID Act slated for September 28.
Switzerland trials muzzles and electric harps against Asian hornets
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Scientists have fitted several beehives in Cornol in canton Jura with electric harps and muzzles to electrocute and stop Asian hornets.
Record number of fawns saved by Swiss drone volunteers
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Thousands of fawns were saved from the blades of mowers thanks to volunteers equipped with drones with thermal imaging cameras.
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Houses and flats became more expensive again in the first half of the year. In the second quarter of 2025 in particular, momentum increased across Switzerland due to high demand and low interest rates.
Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof receives first Locarno City of Peace Award
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The new award was created to strengthen Locarno’s role as a symbol of dialogue and peaceful coexistence, and to mark the centenary of the 1925 Locarno Treaties – a crucial milestone in twentieth-century European diplomacy.
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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