Associations launch national pipe recycling project
The Association of Swiss Plastic Recyclers and the Association of Plastic Pipes and Pipe Components have launched the Swiss Plastic Pipe Recycling project. The aim is to recycle plastic pipes throughout Switzerland for the first time. Companies such as Burkhalter, Eberhard, Meier Tobler, Geberit and Georg Fischer are participating in the project.
The Association of Swiss Plastic Recyclers(VSPR), based in Batzenheid, and the Association of Plastic Pipes and Pipe Components(VKR), based in Aarau, have launched the Swiss Plastic Pipe Recycling(SPPR) project. The aim is to recycle plastic pipes across the board for the first time and return them to the material cycle. Stakeholders in the pipe value chain are supporting the project.
According to a press release, the establishment of a nationwide network of collection centres is central to the project. There are currently already over 40 collection points. According to the initiators, the centralised collection of pipes improves the quality of the materials and enables efficient and transparent traceability along the recycling chain.
Around 85,000 tonnes of plastic pipes are used in Switzerland every year. today, 30 per cent of these pipes are already made from recycled plastics, which mainly come from recycled plastic packaging. In future, however, these will be fed back into the production of new packaging, making new sources of raw materials necessary.
Although plastic pipes are suitable for high-quality recycling, a nationwide take-back system has long been lacking. Swiss Plastic Pipe Recycling aims to tap into new material potential and urgently needed new raw material sources for high-quality recyclates through centralised pipe collection.
Participating in the project are the Burkhalter Group in Zurich, Debrunner Acifer in St.Gallen, Eberhard in Kloten ZH, HakaGerodur in Gossau SG, InnoRecycling in Eschlikon TG, MCAM Symalit in Lenzburg, Meier Tobler in Schwerzenbach ZH, Geberit in Rapperswil-Jona and Georg Fischer in Schaffhausen. The VSPR also wants to support Swiss circular economy goals with the Swiss Plastic Pipe Recycling project. Recycling the plastic conserves primary resources and reduces CO2 emissions.