Recycling of Swiss agricultural films picks up speed

Proven system
Of the 6,000 to 10,000 tonnes of construction and agricultural film consumed annually in Switzerland only smaller quantities were recycled in 2019. Kurt Röschli, Managing Director of the KUNSTSTOFF.swiss association, has taken up the cause of bringing this unused potential back into the cycle. Agricultural films are produced in various EU countries and imported into Switzerland. Kurt Röschli, Managing Director of the KUNSTSTOFF.swiss association, therefore looked around in the EU and quickly came across an established system, the German initiative ERDE, which is now to be adopted in Switzerland in cooperation with ERDE Germany and the system operator RIGK. Under the name ERDE Switzerland, the silo/stretch film as well as nets are to be collected and, where recycling capacities in Switzerland are already exhausted, exported to specialised recycling companies in the EU. The system is financed by subsidies from the manufacturers. These contributions, which are in principle advance recycling fees, are received by the collection points in order to keep the total expenditure in logistics and further processing for the disposal company as low as possible.

Independent association
The independent association ERDE Schweiz, under the leadership of Kurt Röschli and as an associated member of the umbrella organisation KUNSTSTOFF.swiss, will ensure, in exchange with the authorities and the system operator RIGK, that the system becomes operational on 1 January 2022. The new association is made up of manufacturers, traders, disposal companies and the Swiss Contractors Association. At the founding meeting on 14.07.21 in Aarau, 14 founding members have already joined the new association.

Contact: ERDE Schweiz
c/o KUNSTSTOFF.swiss
Kurt Röschli, Managing Director
Verena Jucker, Head of Communication
chachenallee 29C, CH-5000 Aarau, +41 62 834 00 60
info(at)erde-schweiz.ch