Have things improved in Zurich since this photo was taken in 2020?
Keystone / Alexandra Wey
The trend towards littering continues to decline in Switzerland, according to a survey. This positive development can be attributed in particular to cities, municipalities and schools.
In 2015, 25% of those questioned thought that littering was “rather high” or “high” in Switzerland. By 2023, the figure had fallen to 16%, according to a survey of 3,568 people published on Tuesday by the Swiss Anti-litter Competence Centre (IGSU).
The improvement in the situation is also reflected in the number of people who say they are “bothered” or “very bothered” by litter. This figure is 25% for 2023, compared with 75% eight years ago and 28% last year.
Respondents were even more positive when asked about the annoyance caused by litter in the area where the survey was conducted. Only 7.5% of respondents felt that littering was “quite a lot” or “a lot”. On the other hand, 81.2% consider it to be “rather low” or “low”, compared with 79.9% in 2022.
Growing awareness
“There is a growing awareness of the problem in Switzerland,” says IGSU director Nora Steimer. “The subject is increasingly being taken up by politicians and publicly debated.”
Schools are increasingly tackling the subject in their lessons, and more and more events are focusing on litter prevention. “For several years now, Swiss towns and cities have also been implementing a wide range of measures to keep litter under control,” Steimer said.
There is also “enormous support from the public”, as demonstrated by the large number of people who take part in Clean-Up Day, an annual litter-picking event held throughout Switzerland.
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