Query regarding plastic bags disposal

Daily Life, Swiss News and General Topics
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Hi,

I try to follow the recycling rules in Switzerland. I actually also sort out the plastic bags and now have a huge dump of them in my place.

Can some one please tell me if there is a proper mechanism to dispose them off...i asked a couple of guys and they said just throw them in the Zuri Sack...i dont know if that's correct as they are recyclable as well..

Thank you.

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Not sure about Zurich but here in Basel there are recycling bins for plastic bags next to some of the public recycling containers for glass and alumninum cans.

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The bag bins are only there to reduce the litter that tends to aggregate around recycling points. There's no system to recycle plastic bags in place, dispose of them with the normal household waste (after re-using them, of course ).

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Maybe you can stand by the counter in Coop and sell them for 5 rappen? Saves the environment and you make money (wink)

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It's a bit funny cos they are actually harmful to the environment and are recyclable ...I know the Swiss like to recycle and take care of the environment..wish they do something about this issue as well...

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I have a large bag full of plastic that came with Ikea furniture. Its not a bag but its thick plastic and there is a lot of it. It would take quite a few bebbi sac to dispose of. Is this my only option? Or is there a better way to dispose of this packaging?

Also, there is a lot of styrofome (sp?) that was used as filler in the boxes, how do i dispose of that? Right now i have it in a box in the hallway but i need to get rid of it soon. Anyone know the best way?

I am trying to follow the rules but there are some i just dont understand!

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Take it all back to IKEA next time you go. There should be bins near the entrance/exit. They recycle all their packaging as far as I'm aware.

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I don't know about the are of Zürich you live in, but in my city it goes like this:

Paper - picked up once every 3 months

Cardboard - must be taken to recycling centers

glass - must be taken to recycling centers/ points

aluminium - must be taken to recycling centers

green - picked up once every 3 months

old electrodomestics - also recycling center

PET bottles - Supermarket

old clothes - picked up once every 3 months

Plastic bags and styropore are normal garbage.

At least in my city they give us a calendar when we moved in/ every year explaining everything, and when specific garbage is collected. Maybe you can as information from your housing office/ gemeinde for the same.

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Thanks for the replies. I am in Basel and have the list of what is picked up when but plastic isnt on it. And the packaging stuff doesn't really fit into any other category. It looks like bebbi sac are the way to go and i will just have to suck up the cost! Without a car getting it to ikea and back wouldn't be worth the hassle.

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I don't know if it is the real reason, but most of the last researches I read about plastic recycling mention that the current recycling forms for plastic are not yet good enough: you loose too much money and actually polute the environment, doing more harm than good.

P.S: Sorry for spelling mistakes on previous message >_<

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This Thursday is International Plastic Free Day. Good to know if you happen to go shopping.

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They’ve teamed up with “Show-off-your-juggling-skills” Thursday.

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Well all retail stores should be required to take back all of their plastic packaging. 100% of it. Only then will we see innovative solutions to the over-packaging problem. On-line retailers should be required to include postage-free return envelopes for their packaging waste. It is infuriating to receive something packaged in indestructible plastic destined for bricks and mortar shops show up on my doorstep.

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Do any places still give plastic bags here?

Mostly it seems to be paper bags (which you need to pay for), or they assume you have your own bag.

It’s really pretty good.

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I haven’t received a plastic bag anywhere in a reallying time but my husband went to the Chinese store for a few bits yesterday and received a plastic carrier bag there.

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Got a plastic bag at Digitec today. No charge.

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picked up an online order at MĂźller today. They used to hand it over in big brown paper bags. Today I got a proper bag made of some cloth. I was rather amazed.
It’s a pretty good thing, I will definitely keep using it and as it looks for a long time too. Okay, it’s got Müller printed all over it but it’s not cheap shit, they got to book it somewhere - might as well be advertising.

Who knows, maybe I only got it because today was International Plastic Free Day according to RobBob. They did not mention anything though.

As to parcel deliveries: Lately I often get parcels with the stuffing all brown paper (according to our trash-collector-guys brown paper goes to cardboard, not to paper btw.).