Plastic refers to a wide range of synthetic materials. It is generally derived from petroleum or other fossil fuels. Plastics can be found in all sectors of activity, and are used in a wide range of applications. one of the most widely used materials in the world¹. By 2024, it is estimated that global plastic production will exceed 500 million tonnes² ! And this figure could double by 2050, to over billion tonnes³ produced annually.

Switzerland is a major consumer of plastic, consuming around 1 million⁴ tonnes per year, or 120 kilograms per capita. This high level of consumption leads to a high level of waste production. Every year, 790,000 tonnes⁵ of plastic is thrown away in our country. Half of this volume is made up of objects with a short lifespan (less than a year), mainly packaging.

Although the majority of plastic is disposed of correctly, a non-negligible fraction ends up in the environment: 14,000 tonnes per year⁶ ! Most of this is emitted by tyre abrasion (8,900 tonnes a year) in the form of microplastics. The other major source is littering, the dumping of waste (particularly packaging) in the open air. Every year Switzerland, 2,700 tonnes⁷ of plastic ends up in the environment through littering, costing local authorities CHF 200 million. A study⁸ conducted by the Hammerdirt Foundation and the FOEN, to which the Summit Foundation contributed, shows that 86% of the waste collected from lakes and rivers is plastic.

The emission of plastics is harmful to the environment. Plastic is not biodegradable⁹, It can remain in the environment for decades or even hundreds of years. And these plastics are sources of persistent organic pollutants ¹⁰(POPs) via the additives added to them. What's more, they are harmful to wildlife¹¹, which can ingest them, become trapped in plastic waste and suffocate from them.

To limit the amount of plastic in the environment, do the following!

• Reduce the use of plastic packaging and ensure that it is recycled or disposed of correctly.
• When hiking, take a bag for your rubbish and use reusable containers and a water bottle rather than disposable bottles.

Let's work together to combat plastic pollution.

1. Garcês, Andreia, and Isabel Pires. «The Detrimental Impacts of Plastic Pollution on Wildlife». Research in Ecology, 20 May 2024, 42-. https://doi.org/10.30564/re.v6i2.6294.
2. Our World in Data. «Global Plastic Production with Projections. Accessed on 15 September 2025. https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/global-plastic-production-projections?form=MG0AV3.
3. Our World in Data. «Global Plastic Production with Projections. Accessed on 15 September 2025. https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/global-plastic-production-projections?form=MG0AV3.
4. FOEN, Federal Office for the Environment. «Plastics». Accessed on 10 September 2025. https://www.bafu.admin.ch/bafu/fr/home/themen/thema-abfall/abfallwegweiser--stichworte-a--z/kunststoffe.html.
5. FOEN, Federal Office for the Environment. «Plastics». Accessed on 10 September 2025. https://www.bafu.admin.ch/bafu/fr/home/themen/thema-abfall/abfallwegweiser--stichworte-a--z/kunststoffe.html.
6. FOEN, Federal Office for the Environment. «Plastics in the environment». Accessed on 10 September 2025. https://www.bafu.admin.ch/bafu/fr/home/themen/thema-abfall/abfallpolitik-und-massnahmen/kunststoffe-in-umwelt.html.
7. FOEN, Federal Office for the Environment. «Plastics in the environment». Accessed on 10 September 2025. https://www.bafu.admin.ch/bafu/fr/home/themen/thema-abfall/abfallpolitik-und-massnahmen/kunststoffe-in-umwelt.html.
8. FOEN, Federal Office for the Environment. «Waste around Swiss lakes and rivers». Accessed on 12 September 2025. https://www.bafu.admin.ch/bafu/fr/home/themen/thema-abfall/abfall--dossiers/littering-schweizer-gewaesser.html.
9. Avio, Carlo Giacomo, Stefania Gorbi, and Francesco Regoli. «Plastics and Microplastics in the Oceans: From Emerging Pollutants to Emerged Threat». Marine Environmental Research 128 (July 2017): 2- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2016.05.012.
10. Gateuille, David, and Emmanuel Naffrechoux. «Transport of Persistent Organic Pollutants: Another Effect of Microplastic Pollution?» WIREs Water 9, n^o 5 (2022): e1600. https://doi.org/10.1002/wat2.1600.
11. Garcês, Andreia, and Isabel Pires. «The Detrimental Impacts of Plastic Pollution on Wildlife. Research in Ecology, 20 May 2024, 42-46. https://doi.org/10.30564/re.v6i2.6294.