Glass recycling in Switzerland
Glass packaging that is not reused directly – like returnable bottles in Switzerland’s catering sector – should always be placed in a collection container and not in the general waste. This is because, in terms of volume, recycled glass packaging is the most important resource for the manufacture of new glass products. We laid the foundations for this back in the 1970s, when we were the first in Switzerland to begin the organised collection, processing, and reuse of jars and bottles.
Today, around 360,000 tonnes of used glass packaging are collected annually in Switzerland (as of 2024). In 2023, the proportion of glass actually recycled stood at 100 per cent – making Switzerland one of the few European countries already well above the 90 per cent target set by the European Union for 2030.
In Switzerland, used glass packaging has been collected in colour-coded containers at public collection points since 1977. Municipalities are responsible for providing and managing collection points. They receive financial support for this purpose via an advance disposal fee (VEG). Manufacturers and importers pay this fee to VetroSwiss, an organisation acting on behalf of the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment and ATAG Wirtschaftsorganisationen AG.
Partner companies commissioned by the municipalities handle the transport of the collected glass to interim storage facilities and processing plants. The vast majority of Swiss glass is processed for reuse in neighbouring countries, although some is processed and reused in Switzerland itself, for example as a resource in construction.
As part of its Strategy 2030, Vetropack is continuously working to increase the proportion of recycled material in glass production across all its plants, reduce its own environmental footprint, and improve the recycling rate throughout the entire value chain for both single-use and returnable glass, as well as access to key resources (primarily cullet).
FAQ's
Bottles (wine and juice bottles, bottles for vinegar, oil, etc.), food jars (jars for jam, pickels, pesto, etc.) bearing the glass recycling symbol, perfume bottles and deodorant roll-ons, medicine bottles, disposable glass spice mills and glass bottle caps (e.g. Vino-Lok on wine bottles) belong in the glass container. Bottles with a deposit, on the other hand, are returned to the beverage retailer so they can be reused immediately.
Glass products other than packaging are best disposed of in the general waste or at a recycling centre. These include flat glass (window glass, windshields), glass tableware (drinking glasses, ovenware, vases), heat-resistant preserving jars, candle holders, light bulbs (incandescent bulbs, neon tubes), screens, mirrors, and borosilicate glass (laboratory glassware, vaccine vials). Stoneware, porcelain, and ceramics are not glass and should not be placed in the collection container.
There are public glass collection points in all Swiss municipalities and towns. The easiest way to find the exact location of your nearest collection point is via the Swiss Recycle recycling map.
Glass packaging should be rinsed out before disposal for hygiene reasons, though paper labels do not need to be removed. Bottle and container caps should be removed and disposed of separately. Sorting glass packaging by colour beforehand makes the subsequent recycling process much easier. Glass packaging should also be placed gently in the container so that it does not shatter too much. The smaller the shards, the more difficult it is for the processing plants to remove foreign matter. And of course, the surrounding residents will thank you – glass should also preferably be disposed of during the day and on workdays and not at night.
Further information
Additional information on glass recycling in Switzerland is available at