Swiss Sustainability

 There are numerous successful methods that Switzerland implements to deal with their waste management, however, which of these could we successfully implement here in the United States of America? Before I make any recommendations, I must make clear that while these systems may work in a country the size of Switzerland, they may be very difficult to introduce into a country the size of America. As the size of the country increases, so do costs. That being said, while the Swiss transportation system is something that would really benefit the United States, the costs of reconfiguring the roads to add bus, tram, and more train lanes would not only be extremely costly and time-consuming, it could lead to more traffic and more push-back from the communities affected. Another method that I particularly really support but do not think would work in the United States is taxing trash bags. While the system itself is incredible and works amazingly here in Switzerland, Americans really have a thing about their taxes and 140  trash bags can be bought at around $20 at stores like Costco. (4) Charging $2 per trash bag would surely cause an uproar in just about every state across America. 

So what would I recommend? Implementing a system to better sort our recycling. In Luzern, many trash cans found around the city are not only for landfill trash, but accompanied by convenient recycling options such as glass, plastic, and paper. Placing bins like these around big cities, campuses, and festivals would allow for a more efficient way of recycling. Because these recycled materials are pre-sorted, there will be less revenue loss for recycling centers who often lose out from improperly recycled items. (5) Data (6) from the Environmental Protection Agency also shows that recycling is beneficial as it "conserves energy and natural resources." It also states that recycling just 10 plastic bottles produces enough energy to power a laptop for 25 hours (7).  Another recommendation I would make is using resources such as rainwater for alternatives for things such as flushing toilets, watering plants, are using the water for fire sprinkler systems (3) such as IKEA does.  As "There is growing concern for the capacity of urban and rural communities to manage current water shortages and to prepare for shortages that may accompany predicted changes in climate" (8), learning sustainable methods to conserve our fresh water will prove to be extremely important for the health of future generations. Adding a small fee to plastic bags would also prove to be beneficial, and is not overly complicated. This system was implemented in Switzerland last year, where many grocery stores such as COOP and Migros began charging 5 cents a bag. Demand for plastic bags plummeted by over 80%. (2) In their place, reusable bag use sprang into action. While some states in the US have already set the system in place, it would be easy and feasible enough to begin making the switch in other stores across the US. As with the plastic bag fee, I also see adding the benefits of adding a small deposit to cups and plates such as they do in Switzerland. This small fee would not only reduce litter at large events or festivals, but it would allow for better recycling practices. This could prove to be very profitable for the drink of food businesses as well because if one chooses not to bring back their item with their chip, the business gets to keep the deposit.

Overall, while not all of Switzerland's waste management practices would work if implemented into the United States, it is important to observe what makes a system so successful, and try to come up with alternative solution. With excess waste beginning to cause problems across the globe, it is important that we as a society band together to share practices which can help propel us into a better, healthier, and more sustainable way of living.