Circular economy and effective use of resources in Switzerland

In fulfillment of a postulate, the Federal Council wants to abolish obstacles to an increase in product life cycles and waste reduction

There are still several obstacles in Switzerland that hold back the development of the circular economy and prevent the efficient use of resources. In the construction and agribusiness sectors, the potential for improvement is particularly high.
The Federal Administration of the Swiss country is examining the measures to remedy the deficiencies found.
In the session of 11 March 2022, the Federal Council adopted the report on the abolition of obstacles to the efficient use of resources and the development of a circular economy in fulfillment of a postulate.
Postulate 18.3509 of the Councilor of States Ruedi Noser (Canton of Zurich, Liberal Radical Party) asks the Government to identify sectors with unused potential and to identify laws, ordinances and regulations that hinder the efficient use of resources and the development of circular economy.

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The perverse effect of various directives and regulatory provisions

Obstacles are rarely attributable to individual regulations or standards. They often result from a complex set of directives and regulatory provisions that influence each other.
The report adopted by the Federal Council on 11 March 2022, in addition to revealing shortcomings in the use of sustainable and innovative solutions, also highlights a lack of sensitivity to this issue among the actors involved. These conclusions confirm the results of previous studies.

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In the construction sector, various standards and explanatory sheets no longer correspond to the current state of the art and do not allow the efficient use of resources, for example by making use of renewable or recyclable materials.
Sometimes obstacles arise from decisions made in an emergency situation.
This is the case in the animal feed sector, subject to strict regulation following the mad cow crisis.
The measures adopted have made it possible to overcome the crisis and strengthen food security, but at the same time limit the use of certain animal by-products.
Too much food is still wasted. The distribution of unsold or intended for disposal food to certified organizations or individuals is also subject to rules that are not conducive to reducing food waste.
Finally, it should be noted that, depending on their orientation, public expenditure can have a negative impact on the consumption of resources.
The Federal Council is examining the measures to be taken in all these sectors. More generally, it intends to analyze existing strategies, objectives, laws and subsidies in order to improve the consistency between the various regulations.

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A project/initiative to strengthen "circularity" is under discussion

The topic of postulate 18.3509 is linked to that of the parliamentary initiative 20.433 "Strengthening the Swiss circular economy", which was in consultation until February 16, 2022.
The initiative aims to create the conditions for making the Swiss economy more efficient, reducing its environmental impact and increasing security of supply. These objectives require the introduction of new provisions in the Environmental Protection Act (LPAmb).

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