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Environmental information systems
The indicator shows the share of material recovered and fed back into the economy – and thus saving extraction of primary raw materials – in overall material use.
Between 2000 and 2022, the circular material use rate rose by more than 60% or 5.2 percentage points, reaching around 13.5% in 2022. After a generally steady increase between 2000 and 2018, the rate has remained .
Several market factors contribute to this stabilisation pattern, including current pricing structures that favour unsustainable products and primary resources, and . It is worth noting that, even with optimal recovery rates, recycled materials would currently meet only . This draws attention to the opportunity for complementary strategies to advance the circular economy. The most important strategies include the economical use of materials and energy in manufacturing and service development, a faster transition towards resource-efficient technologies, the implementation of resource-saving use models (e.g. sharing or renting), the extension of product life cycles and the design of products to be recyclable .
A recently adopted legal basis for strengthening the Swiss circular economy may help to .
References and footnotes
- ↵Federal Statistical Office, ‘Circular material use rate – Share of waste recovery streams in total material consumption’, Federal Statistical Office website, 4 July 2024, accessed 12 June 2025, https://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/en/home/statistics/catalogues-databases.assetdetail.32066665.html.
- ↵Federal Council, Abfallwirtschaft, Abfallvermeidung, Abfallplanung, Messung, Bern, 2023, p. 14, https://www.newsd.admin.ch/newsd/message/attachments/75709.pdf.
- ↵European Environment Agency, Circular Economy Country Profile 2024 – Switzerland, Copenhagen, 2024, https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/topics/in-depth/circular-economy/country-profiles-on-circular-economy/circular-economy-country-profiles-2024/switzerland_2024-country-profile_final.pdf.
- ↵Federal Office for the Environment, Environment Switzerland 2022 – Report of the Federal Council, Bern, 2023, p. 147, https://www.bafu.admin.ch/bafu/en/home/documentation/reports/environmental-report.html.
- ↵Federal Office for the Environment, Environment Switzerland 2022 – Report of the Federal Council, Bern, 2023, p. 149, https://www.bafu.admin.ch/bafu/en/home/documentation/reports/environmental-report.html.
- ↵Fedlex, Loi fédérale sur la protection de l’environnement, 15 March 2024, https://www.fedlex.admin.ch/eli/fga/2024/682/fr.