Reusable lunch boxes to boost the circular economy
Published: Friday, Aug 9th 2024, 10:20
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The circular economy works as a business model in individual cases. However, according to experts, Switzerland needs legal support on a broad front - as in neighboring Germany and France.
When students at the University of Zurich order a cappuccino to go or customers scoop salad into a lunchbox at a Migros restaurant, they are given purple reusable crockery. They pay a deposit of 5 to 10 francs for this, depending on the size. This is intended to create an incentive to return the containers after use.
The cups and boxes come from the Bern-based start-up Recircle. The catering establishments take care of the cleaning themselves - there are now over 1,800 of them throughout Switzerland. They want to reuse the containers for as long as possible.
Customers appreciate quality
"Many customers appreciate the high-quality containers," says a Migros spokeswoman. They can also be used to pack leftovers. The concept works particularly well in larger cities and near train stations.
Competitor Coop also works with Recircle. The highlight is that you can return the containers to any Recircle partner business, regardless of where you bought them. You can also take the boxes home and only return them after using them several times. This saves waste and CO2, which is produced by the incineration of disposable packaging.
The reusable containers are also popular with ZFV companies. These include, for example, the canteens of the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich or those of the Zurich University of Applied Sciences.
Lack of national regulations
In the overall market, however, reusable systems still have a niche existence in this country. The Zurich start-up Kooky recently had to adapt its business model because its reusable cups were not being used enough at train station kiosks.
Single-use plastic has been banned in the EU since 2021. In Switzerland, however, there are only a few local initiatives, such as in the canton of Bern, where a reusable plastic ban applies to large public events, or in Geneva, where single-use plastic is to be banned in restaurants and takeaways from 2025 at the latest.
According to experts, this is not enough: "The infrastructure and financing of waste disposal must be restructured in favor of reuse," demands circular economy expert Joëlle Hérin from Greenpeace.
She is thinking of a tax on disposable tableware, as has already been introduced in France. This would benefit washing and logistics centers for reusable containers, for example.
Maria Colon, an expert in the circular economy at Entsorgung + Recycling Zürich, also believes that Switzerland should promote the use of reusable packaging. Regulations are one option, but so are incentive systems and measures to raise public awareness.
Neighboring countries ahead of Switzerland
Germany is considered by many to be a pioneer in this area: since last year, reusable packaging has been mandatory for take-away establishments, meaning that they must offer reusable alternatives. Accordingly, several reusable providers are already active in the neighboring country, including Recup and Relevo. Some large corporations such as Starbucks and McDonald's also offer their own reusable tableware.
In Germany, too, the population would actually be open to new solutions. According to a recent survey by Deloitte, almost half of those questioned said they wanted to change their consumer behavior to benefit the environment.
However, according to Rahel Ostgen, Head of Recycling Management at Swiss Recycle, it is important that consumers are aware of the benefits of recycling. It must also be easy to handle.
Reusable boxes must be visible
Jeannette Morath, Managing Director of Recircle, agrees. Availability and visibility are the first step for her. "Once people get used to reusable packaging, they won't go back to disposable," she says.
Morath is also convinced: "The circular economy will prevail in the long term." The company she founded in 2016 is currently in a scale-up phase, meaning it is growing particularly quickly.
According to Recircle, a Recircle lunch box has a lower CO2 footprint than the average disposable packaging made of plastic, cardboard or aluminum after 15 uses.
©Keystone/SDA
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