Questions and answers

The reason why yoghurt pots should not be stacked inside each other is the sorting system. This recognizes compressed material, but not stacked containers such as yoghurt pots. In the worst case, these could then be sorted out as non-material recyclable material and sent for incineration, although the cups themselves could be recycled very well. This does not correspond to the purpose of the collection bag, which is why it is better if yoghurt pots and other collected goods are pressed together and not stacked inside each other.

Yes, unfortunately the packaging industry is not yet up to date in terms of plastic recycling. There are still no guidelines for national and international packaging manufacturers regarding the designation of products that can be recycled. However, plastic packaging can often be recycled without any problems, even if a waste bag symbol is printed on it.

For two reasons: Firstly, there is disposable tableware that is made from biodegradable plastic. This should not be fed into the plastic cycle. Secondly, there is disposable tableware in which the plastic contains additives. These should also not be returned to the material cycle. However, if the disposable tableware is explicitly marked with the plastic abbreviation (PS = polystyrene), the disposable tableware in the bag is also welcome.

No, medication blister packs do not belong in the collection bag as they are made of a composite material that cannot currently be recycled. Medication packaging therefore still belongs in the garbage bag.

Yes, toothpaste tubes, like all other tubes in the collection bag, can be recycled as they are usually made of LDPE. It helps with sorting if you throw the lid and the tube separately into the bag.

Yes, all covers for CDs, DVDs, video cassettes, audio cassettes etc. can be placed in the collection bag, as they are made of either polystyrene (PS) or polypropylene (PP) and are easy to recycle. It is important that paper and cardboard are removed and disposed of in the waste paper or separate cardboard collection.

Important: Please dispose of CDs, DVDs, toner cartridges, audio cassettes and similar items in the separate collection.

No. Styrofoam / Sagex has its own material cycle and can be disposed of at most recycling centers. In addition, Styrofoam / Sagex is often statically charged. This makes sorting more difficult and can block the near-infrared with which our sorting system recognizes the different plastics.

No, the labels do not need to be removed from the packaging. This happens automatically during the wash cycle in the regranulate production process and therefore has no influence on the quality of the plastic.

Yes, beverage cartons can also be collected in the collection bag. This not only makes a further contribution to the environment through recycling, but also leads to a higher sorting quality. Beverage cartons (Tetra Pak) perform a kind of separating function between the household plastics in the collection bag. Due to their size and composition, they prevent the plastics from compacting too tightly and help to loosen up the collected material before the actual sorting process in the sorting plant. Beverage cartons are made up of the following materials: Cardboard (approx. 75%), polyethylene (approx. 21%) and aluminum foil (approx. 4%).

How do sorting and recycling work?

The collected beverage cartons are sorted in the sorting plant and sent to a specialized company in France or Italy for further processing. There, the beverage cartons are processed so that the recovered cardboard fibers can be used for new packaging made of corrugated cardboard or various recycled papers.

The remaining plastic-aluminum mixture is fed to cement plants as a substitute fuel (RDF) for coal or new products are made from it, such as paper or soap dispensers.

No. The remnants and waste from FDM 3D printers do not belong in the collection bag, as they contain additives that should not be fed into the household plastics cycle.

However, there are various companies that specialize in recycling 3D printer waste. For example, the company Recycling Fabrik.

No. Polylactide, PLA is a "bio-plastic" which cannot be recycled. Accordingly, we would ask you not to collect materials labeled as PLA in the collection bag. If material does end up in the collection bag, it will be thermally recycled as substitute fuel in the cement industry.

No. All plastics that have come into contact with body fluids such as saliva or blood are contaminated and must therefore not be placed in the collection bag. Plastics that do not come into contact with saliva and test fluid (e.g. packaging) may be recycled in the collection bag.

No. Lego bricks do not belong in the collection bag as they contain additives that cannot be recycled. However, we know from experience that every Brockenhaus is happy to receive Lego bricks, as they are still a popular pastime for young and old.

No. Polyester material and nylon do not belong in the collection bag.

This is due to the different types of plastic. Thermoplastics are the most commonly used worldwide. Thermoplastics, also known as plastomers, are plastics that can be shaped within a certain temperature range. They are easy to recycle.

The so-called thermosets are not recyclable. Thermosets, correctly called duromers, are plastics that can no longer be deformed by heating or other measures once they have hardened. They contain hard, amorphous, insoluble polymers (e.g. sockets etc.).

Elastomers are also non-recyclable. These are dimensionally stable but elastically deformable plastics whose glass transition point is below the application temperature. The plastics can deform elastically under tensile and compressive stress, but then return to their original, undeformed shape (e.g. cooking ladle, toothbrush, rubber band (sports), condoms, etc.).

No. The goods that you dispose of in the collection bag do not need to be washed or cleaned. For yogurt pots, it is sufficient if they are spoon-clean. Tetra packs must be empty, but do not need to be rinsed out.

Office materials such as tape dispensers, filing trays or folders do not belong in the collection bag as they often contain additives that should not be recycled.

The collection bag can be purchased at over 670 points of sale in Switzerland, filled with household plastic and handed in at over 340 collection points for recycling. As "Bring Plastic back" is a national collection system, the bags can be handed in at all "Bring Plastic back" partner collection points throughout Switzerland. You can find all sales and collection points at https://www.sammelsack.ch/wo-sie-uns-finden.

The prices of the collection bags vary from region to region, as the logistical effort for the collection is higher in some areas than in others. As a rule, they are based on the price of the local garbage bags. It is best to contact your nearest point of sale. You can find them at www.sammelsack.ch/wo-sie-uns-finden.html.

Whenever possible, the collected plastics are recycled and reused in Switzerland. This further processing requires plastics processors who specialize in the individual types of plastic. Our sister company, InnoPlastics AG in Eschlikon TG, for example, specializes in LDPE, HDPE and PP plastics. However, there are currently no recycling companies in Switzerland that specialize in the PS and beverage carton fractions. As these fractions can also be recycled, we send them to recycling companies in nearby EU countries. In this way, we are able to recycle around 63% of the collected plastics.

You can find more detailed information in our brochure "We make plastics sustainable".

We are currently sorting in one of the most modern sorting plants in Europe, in Lustenau AT. Our aim is to be able to build our own sorting plant in the near future. However, we need at least 20,000 tons of collected plastic for this to cover costs. In 2022, we collected 6,688 tons of plastic with the "Bring Plastic Back" collection system. However, we are confident that the collection volume will continue to increase over the next few years and that we will soon be able to start building a sorting plant in Switzerland.