Just under 90% of Zurich citizens on Sunday said yes to the idea, which the cantonal government proposed as an alternative to an initiative by the young Green Party. All political parties were in favour of the idea.
The canton’s constitution will therefore be adapted to include an article calling on authorities to create frameworks for a “considerate treatment of resources, materials, and goods, as well as the closing of materials loops”.
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The circular economy: a new way of making and using things
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Switzerland is good at collecting and recycling materials. But various hurdles stand in the way of developing a circular economy in other sectors.
Authorities hope the article will mean more attention is paid to the question of how raw materials are used, and re-used. It’s also assumed that gains in efficiency will help to reduce not only waste, but also energy use.
The Neue Zürcher Zeitung newspaper writes that each resident of Zurich produces an average of three tonnes of waste each year; two tonnes of this is then recycled. Most waste comes from the construction sector, the paper says.
Zurich is the first of the 26 Swiss cantons to include the circular economy in its constitution. Earlier this month, Bern’s cantonal parliament accepted a Green Party postulate calling for the setting up of more infrastructure and incentives to boost the circular economy.
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Switzerland strives for a more sustainable economy
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With consumption and inflation on the rise, Switzerland could do more to transition to a circular economy and recycle billions of tonnes of materials.
How is your country dealing with the return of stolen artifacts?
Western nations like Switzerland often have to deal with the process of recovering or returning looted artifacts which have been illegally imported. What’s the situation like in your country?
What do you think Switzerland’s Alain Berset can bring to the Council of Europe?
The former interior minister is to become the first Swiss Secretary General of the Council of Europe – which issues should his five-year term focus on?
Ukrainian children flown to Switzerland for cancer treatment
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The Swiss air rescue service Rega flew two Ukrainian children with cancer to Switzerland from a hospital in Kyiv hit by Russian missiles.
Swiss Solidarity raises over CHF10 million for victims of extreme weather
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The money raised will be used to help those affected by the recent storms and flooding in the cantons of Ticino, Graubünden, and Valais.
Swiss giant Roche given green light for lung cancer drug in Canada
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According to a recent study, Roche’s Alecensaro reduced the risk of recurrence or death by 76% compared to chemotherapy alone.
Swiss luxury watch market hit hard by China-led slump
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Sales of Swiss-made luxury watches are in sharp retreat as nervous consumers reconsider splashing out on expensive timepieces and demand slumps.
Swiss foreign minister briefs Russian counterpart on Ukraine peace summit
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Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis met with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in New York, during Russia's presidency of the UN Security Council.
Criminal proceedings filed over Swiss components in Russian weapons
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The Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs has opened more than 50 administrative criminal proceedings for violations of sanctions against Russia.
The battle against global e-waste dumping reaches tipping point
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Switzerland is pushing to modify an international accord so that all e-waste shipped abroad gets prior consent from destination countries.
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