Consumption of single-use plastic bags in some 30 Swiss food retailers has dropped 86% since they introduced a small charge in 2016.
This content was published on
1 minute
Keystone-SDA/jc
The charge of CHF0.05 (an American nickel) per bag was introduced voluntarily under a sectoral agreement in response to a parliamentary move that would have banned single-use plastic bags.
According to figures from the two federations that initiated the agreement – Swiss Retail FederationExternal link and CI CDSExternal link – Swiss consumers still bought 56 million single-use plastic bags in the shops in 2018. But this was down from 66 million in 2017 and nearly 418 million a year earlier.
The sectoral agreement signed in October 2016 proposed to cut the use of these bags by 70% to 80% by 2025, meaning that this target has already been met. The 30 signatory companiesExternal link include big Swiss food retailers like Migros, Coop, Denner, Aldi and Lidl.
The sector says these “encouraging” figures show that the federal government’s decision not to introduce a ban was the right one and that “voluntary initiatives by the sector can be more efficient”.
Under the sector agreement, single-use plastic bags remain free in convenience stores. The retail federations say people tend to make more spontaneous purchases in these stores and charging for bags is unlikely to have an impact.
More
More
What difference can a can make?
This content was published on
We’ve crunched a few numbers showing how a small country like Switzerland can have a big impact when it comes to things like cans and cigarette butts.
Medieval squirrels may have ‘helped spread leprosy’
This content was published on
An examination of squirrel remains in the United Kingdom has opened up interesting questions and possibilities in terms of the history of the disease.
Swiss money laundering office registers record number of reports
This content was published on
The Money Laundering Reporting Office Switzerland (MROS) registered a record number of reports of suspicious activity last year.
Two teens accused of planning terror attack released from custody
This content was published on
The Schaffhausen judiciary has released the two teenagers from custody who allegedly planned bomb attacks in Switzerland.
OECD: Sluggish economic activity slowing growth in Switzerland
This content was published on
Sluggish economic activity at the start of the year is weighing on growth in Switzerland, with GDP expected to fall to 1.1% in 2024.
Report finds mistakes which led to Swiss government data breach
This content was published on
Mistakes were made by both the government and internet company Xplain in the case of a criminal cyber-attack on the Bern-based IT business.
Swiss government wants better gender balance in federal administration
This content was published on
New Swiss government personnel management targets say there must be even more female managers in the federal administration.
Swiss national science foundation funded over 5,000 projects in 2023
This content was published on
In 2023, the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) provided a total of CHF961 million worth of funding towards research projects.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Demand collapses for supermarket plastic bags
This content was published on
The decision by Switzerland’s main supermarkets to charge CHF0.05 ($0.05) per plastic bag has led to demand plummeting by around 80%.
Geneva bans sale of single-use plastic on public land
This content was published on
Starting in 2020, the city of Geneva will prohibit the sale of disposable plastics at events as well as at sales points on public property.
Are companies and consumers ready to shun plastic?
This content was published on
The massive amount of plastic pollution has ignited public concern as well as debate in Davos, but the real work is still to come.
Switzerland has no intention of banning single-use plastics
This content was published on
While the European Union intends to ban plastic straws, single-use cutlery, and other disposable plastics, the Swiss government has no plans to follow suit.
Migros says packaging protests will help develop its policy
This content was published on
Switzerland's biggest retailer Migros says protests against excess plastic packaging will help it adapt to what consumers want.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.