PETpla.net Insider 10 / 2013

MATERIAL / RECYCLING 31 PET planet insider Vol. 14 No. 10/13 www.petpla.net Measurement of PET quantities / quotas in 2012:  Sales of PET bottles:100% (i.e. 46,341t and 1.5 billion bottles in circulation)  Collection quota: 102% incl. misses, waste  Recycling quota: 89% (Sorted PET excl. foreign substances)  Utilization quota: 81% (Pure PET excl. lids, labels etc. i.e. 37,571t) Since 2009 the figures registered have been at approximately the same high level. 81% of the PET bottles filled and sold in Switzerland are in a closed circuit bottle arrangement. A total of over 90% of all PET bottles remain in Switzerland. The final output after collecting, compressing, sorting and repeat com- pressing into bales:  Quality A (transparent): 43% (for bottles)  Quality B (light blue): 17% (for bot- tles)  Quality C (green/multi-coloured): 34% (for straps)  Quality I (brown): 6% (for textiles) The qualities A and B undergo direct processing (without any further sorting by the recycler) to produce recyclate suitable for direct food con- tacs. The quality of the PET sorted is correspondingly high (99.8%). The associaton PET-Recy- cling Switzerland (PRS) At the heart of the Swiss recycling system is the association known as PET Recycling Switzerland (PRS), initially established in 1990 by the bot- tling firms, companies such as Coca Cola, Evian and Nestlé, who were directly affected by the new regula- tion relating to beverages packaging. PRS meets the obligation incumbent on the bottlers in relation to PET bot- tles which is enshrined in law, and acts on their behalf. The association PRS (PET-Recy- cling Switzerland) was established as a non-profit-making organisation. PRS is concerned with collecting PET beverage bottles. Virtually all Swiss beverage producers, importers, bottlers and the trade belong to the sector association. Today the Asso- ciation makes a disposal network for PET bottles available for Switzerland as a whole. What this boils down to is a sector solution on a voluntary basis. The association formulates the challenging objectives and defines the standards. The members of the Association basically commit them- selves to a voluntary solution geared to a market economy. This means that they are opposed to any state control on deposits or pre-levied disposal charges. According to PRS, the fact that measures can be adopted volun- tarily creates enhanced incentives to build up an efficient recycling system. It is important that ecology and economics go hand in hand. Under no circumstances must they be allowed to be at odds with one another. The association embarked on its mission with a total of 19 members. At that time (1991) a total of 548t of PET was being collected. Quota for collection was 13%. In the second year (1992) a total of 3,300t was already being collected (quota 53%). In 1996 – with 14,448t of PET collected, the statu- tory quota specified for collection was exceeded for the first time. At PRS Switzerland there are 17 members of staff deployed in the office to organise, control and moni- tor activities. Approximately over 40 external companies are responsible for transport and sorting. First President is Eduard Suter, Acting Managing Director is René Herzog, with Jean-Claude Würmli (Deputy Managing Director). René Herzog puts the tasks of the PRS in a nutshell: “We organise the neces- sary logistics between all the people, companies and organisers involved in value creation. And we try to create public awareness about recycling. We were soon in receipt of the Market- ing Award - in 1992. As regards the Logistic Award, we received this year (2013) and we are particularly pleased and satisfied about it“. ... at the golf course ... on site ... in front of the World Trade Center ... at the airport