Swiss retailer Migros has unveiled a new system whereby shoppers can collect plastic waste at home and return it to one of over 40 branches in the Lucerne region.
Migros Lucerne is offering a 'plastic collection sack, available in three sizes, 17-litre, 35-litre and 60-litre, into which customers can place plastic waste before returning the sack to a store.
The collection sacks are priced at CHF 0.90, CHF 1.70 and CHF 2.50 respectively.
"We are pleased that this project is now commencing, and that we can offer the people of central Switzerland this sensible and sustainable service," commented Guido Rast, head of the Migros Cooperative in Lucerne.
Industry Collaboration
Both Migros and a number of waste management associations in central Switzerland have collaborated on the launch of the scheme, with the waste associations able to re-use the plastic gathered to reformulate new packaging, in a 'closed loop' approach.
Collected plastic will be accumulated by InnoRecycling, which will recycle the sorted material into granulates, which in turn will be processed into packaging for M-Industry products.
"Only when a significant proportion of the collected plastic is used again for high-quality packaging can we speak of a real closed loop," commented Daniele Vergari from the Lucerne association REAL, who added that Migros has made this goal attainable.
If the scheme is well-received by shoppers, and based on the success of this 'first stage', Migros has said that it will consider rolling out plastic collection to other regions across Switzerland.
© 2021 European Supermarket Magazine. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. For more Packaging news, click here. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
