The Swiss are known as a collector of used packaging. This is just as true for metal packaging as for all other packaging. More than three kilos of aluminum cans, pet food trays, mustard tubes, coffee capsules and food cans are collected per inhabitant and year, or a total of 25,600 tons. To ensure that this trend continues, Igora and Ferro Recycling annually award the Prix-Metallrecycling to three exemplary Swiss metal collectors.

The new race for the most eager metal collectors starts now and lasts until May 31, 2017. The two recycling organizations Igora and Ferro Recycling are responsible for the race. In recognition and appreciation, they are rewarding the three best metal collectors in 2017 with 1,000 Swiss francs each and at the same time crowning them Swiss metal collecting champions.

Anyone can join
Metal collectors can quickly and easily participate in the race. Simply on the websites igora.ch or ferrorecycling.ch under Prix-Metallrecycling write in a few words how the empty metal packaging is collected and goes to recycling. Also sending an e-mail to info@igora.ch or a postcard to Igora or Ferro Recycling in Thalwil is possible. The following information is important: how many, how and where and which metal packaging is collected. In addition, the complete address with telephone and, where available, e-mail address should be listed. The closing date for entries is 31 May 2017.

Determination of the winners according to three criteria
A group of experts will select the most successful metal collectors from the entries. The potential winners score points for their initiative, enthusiasm and creativity in collecting metal packaging.

Last year, among other things, the Tüftelwerk in Lucerne was awarded. The open workshop for children places particular emphasis on experimenting and tinkering with aluminum and metal packaging - with creative and often astonishing results.

The other two winners were a trained recyclist who collects metal packaging from private households, restaurants, bars and companies every day by bicycle and trailer, thus returning four to five tons of metal to the material cycle every year, and a committed family who also carefully collects aluminum cans during walks.

Deadly exhaust fumes: 60 people die prematurely in the U.S., and as many as 1,200 in Europe. The culprits are excessive nitrogen oxide emissions from manipulated diesel cars manufactured for years by the Volkswagen Group. This is the conclusion reached by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)  in its current investigation. The company admitted in September 2015 that it had deliberately modified software. More than 11 million diesel vehicles are affected by the manipulation.

500 dead in Germany

The MIT researchers evaluated the excessive emissions between 2008 and 2015. According to the study, Germany is the country most affected, with 500 deaths. Border regions, such as France, Poland and the Czech Republic, also have above-average numbers of premature deaths. "Air pollution doesn't stop at political borders," says study author Steven Barrett, professor of aeronautics and astronautics at MIT. "Therefore, one car on German roads can have significant impacts on neighboring countries."

The researchers believe that Volkswagen urgently needs to get a grip on the emissions problem. If all vehicles could be retrofitted by the end of 2017, there would be 2600 fewer premature deaths, or 29,000 fewer years of life, according to the calculations. The cost savings in the healthcare system would also be enormous. It would amount to 4.1 billion euros. That is far more than in the USA, which is not only due to the lower number of vehicles.

Lower risk in the USA

Diesel vehicles in Germany have an average annual mileage that is 20 percent higher than in the USA. The higher population density in Europe and climatic conditions also play a role. Nitrogen oxides also react with ammonia in the air. This creates particulate matter that enters the lungs. According to the MIT study, this risk is lower in the USA because the air there contains less ammonia. Ammonia enters the air primarily through fertilizing the fields.

At the end of October 2015, just a few months after the targeted emissions manipulations became known, MIT researchers had attributed 60 deaths in the U.S. to the software trickery. In addition to the 60 victims, another 130 people were expected to die at that time - not least because of the only gradual retrofitting of the affected vehicles.

Text: Press release/MIT

The Laax ski resort may be one of the most snow-sure ski areas in the Alps thanks to its high altitude, but the effects of climate change are also being felt here: "Just 20 years ago, the snowboard summer camp was held regularly on the Vorab glacier - in the middle of June," recalls Reto Fry, sustainability officer for the Laax-based tourism company Weisse Arena Group. The massive retreat of the glacier makes that impossible today. "That man-made climate change is to blame is, of course, something we can only assume. But that something is changing cannot be denied."

Climate change in the Alps
Anyone concerned with climate change in Europe inevitably casts a glance at the Alps. It is not for nothing that they are called the mirror image of the climate. In the Alpine region, the temperature has risen twice as much as the global average over the last 100 years. According to a forecast by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the snow season is therefore shortening by one to two days every two years. This development can already be observed now: Whereas guests could rely on an early start to the season at the end of October just a few years ago, today the snow often falls later. This is also noticeable in Laax: the snow line has risen and the snow is coming later. For a region known for its winter sports tourism, the changed climate conditions are a challenge.

Greenstyle in the snow
"The question was never whether we should do something, but always what we can do and how we can do it," Fry said. Winter sports destinations require a lot of energy to maintain operations. To implement sustainable solutions for this energy demand, Laax has developed the sustainability concept Greenstyle developed. The aim of the concept is to implement measures for a climate-friendly vacation and to protect nature and the animals of the mountain region. The Weisse Arena Group relies on renewable energies and efficient technologies. At the same time, CO2 emissions are to be reduced and energy saved.

Local renewable energy

In addition to hydropower, the sunny region primarily uses numerous photovoltaic systems on the mountain and on the new railroad facilities. For this commitment, the Weisse Arena Group received the European Solar Energy Award in 2016. Meanwhile, Laax already generates 100 percent of the electricity it needs from CO2-neutral sources. The next project - a wind farm on the Vorab glacier - envisages generating energy from wind power.

Use sustainable resources
Other measures are also designed to protect the climate. For example, the Caffè NoName above the world's largest halfpipe has been serving its guests sustainable dishes in the form of a climate menu since this season. For this purpose, the ecological footprint of each product is determined on the basis of its origin and quality. Caffè NoName offers regional products with very short transport routes, which ensure not only a positive climate footprint but also the high quality of the food. Guests fortify themselves here with delicious panini and fresh soups, for example.

Other greenstyle measures already implemented include in the area of waste reduction and a functioning recycling concept, the use of sustainable building materials to protect natural resources, and wildlife, water and plant protection measures. Laax also supports ecologically and locally produced fair trade products and influences industry, suppliers and partners to promote sustainability. In addition to these measures, Laax implements other projects to permanently advance the idea of sustainability in the destination

Goal 100% sustainable resource - and energy independence.
As a winter sports destination, Laax is aware of its responsibility towards the environment and nature, because future generations should still be able to enjoy wide, perfectly groomed slopes and white snowy landscapes during the winter months. One aspired goal is therefore to use 100 percent sustainable resources in the near future and to become the first self-sufficient winter resort in the world.

Foundation supports regional projects
In order to promote sustainability outside the company as well, the Weisse Arena Group, in cooperation with people and companies from the region, founded the Greenstyle Foundation. The foundation supports regional projects dedicated to the preservation and protection of the environment and nature. In this way, ecological and sustainable action can be promoted throughout the region.

In addition to the necessary protection of the climate, the Swiss territory with Greenstyle pays its respect above all to nature and the animals that live in it. "I try to give my children a good life and want them to breathe good air. For that, I give my best every day," Fry, summarizes. For him, his profession is also a vocation. "Everyone can work for a better world."

The federal government's Energy Strategy 2050 envisages an expansion of new renewable energies from the sun, wind and biomass. But solar and wind power plants in particular still pose major challenges to the energy system. They produce electricity depending on the weather, and if they produce too much of it, the valuable electricity is lost because the power grid cannot absorb it.

One promising solution to this problem is to convert the excess electricity into energy-rich gases such as hydrogen or methane. These can be stored well and used when needed or converted back into electricity. This technology, known as "power-to-gas", is the focus of the ESI platform (ESI stands for "Energy System Integration") commissioned at PSI at the end of 2016. The ESI platform has a modular design as a container village. On it, partners from research and industry can investigate the technical feasibility of different variants of power-to-gas technology on a pilot scale.

The new ESI visitor station

A new visitor station now aims to make the ESI platform and its possible contribution to the energy supply of the future understandable to a broad audience. The aim is to convey the complex interrelationships between the political program (Energy Strategy 2050), the challenges (irregularly generated electricity while maintaining grid balance) and the solution approach (power-to-gas) in an entertaining and playful way.

Welcome to Esiville

At the center of the ESI visitor station is a diorama featuring the interactive model city of Esiville. Populated by Playmobil play figures, it tells the story of a Swiss town that is switching from a conventional energy supply to one based on new renewable energies. The switch is triggered by a devastating storm. But it soon becomes clear that the development of new renewable energy alone is not enough to ensure a secure energy supply. Ways must be found to store the irregularly generated electricity from solar and wind plants over the long term.

Learning through interaction

Visitors can find out for themselves how to solve the problem using a model construction site. They build an ESI platform in miniature format and see how the different variants of power-to-gas technology can contribute to a successful energy transition. The model construction site is linked back to the diorama and provides visitors with direct feedback on construction progress. After all, life in the city can only continue as usual once the various technologies have been implemented. An "X-ray station" reveals exactly which technology is in which container: visitors can use it to penetrate right into the interior of the model containers and learn about the key aspects of the technologies investigated on the ESI platform.

Guided tours

The new ESI visitor station can be explored as part of a guided tour at PSI. The visitors will be guided through the complex topic by an expert. The offer is free of charge. Prior registration with an appointment is required. Further information is available at the Website of the psi forum visitor center.

Text: PSI/Martina Gröschl

Barcelona, Berlin, Copenhagen, London, Paris, Vienna and Zurich: students from the ZHAW School of Engineering have investigated existing sharing concepts in the field of mobility in seven European cities. The results show that within the ubiquitous trend of the sharing economy, sharing one's own car in particular is gaining in importance.

Peer-to-peer car sharing (P2P car sharing for short) is a new type of sharing model: providers offer private users online platforms where they can share their vehicles with others. At least one such service is available in all seven cities surveyed.

The front-runner is Paris, where five providers enable a total of more than 2200 car owners to rent out their own vehicles to strangers via a corresponding platform. In Zurich, there is only one provider with a good 100 participants so far.

The advantages are obvious: "This way, the car is not just sitting in the parking lot and causing costs, but you can earn money with it," knows ZHAW student Christoph Sutter, who led the project in the Bachelor's degree program in Transportation Systems together with his colleague Wolfgang Thullen.

P2P model vs. organized car sharing
In contrast to traditional car sharing, the entry hurdle for P2P platforms is low. There are no registration fees. "Pay as you go" applies on all the platforms studied. This offers users a great deal of flexibility and helps them stand up to the competition from organized car sharing and car rental.

The sharing offer on P2P platforms seems to be greater than the demand. "That's just as well, because the decisive point for the potential user is the short distance to a P2P car," explains Thomas Sauter-Servaes, head of the Transportation Systems course. In addition to the new P2P model, his students also examined conventional car-sharing offerings as well as bike-sharing. In order to be able to compare the offers situationally, eight different user groups with typical mobility behavior were created.

Tourists travel cheapest by rental bike and public transport
For one user group in particular, the P2P model could overtake traditional car rental: Those who need a car for a week's family vacation drive more cheaply with P2P than with traditional car sharing in all seven cities. In Barcelona, Copenhagen, London, Paris and Vienna, on the other hand, a week's shopping is definitely worthwhile with car-sharing providers, while in Berlin and Zurich it is better to rely on P2P offers in this case as well. If you are a tourist on a city trip, bike sharing is usually a good choice.

"In most of the cities we looked at, a city tour by rental bike is cheaper than by public transport," says Wolfgang Thullen. On the other hand, public transport is cheaper than car sharing. "Nevertheless, for a tourist couple, a car-sharing offer is more attractive if the main focus is on comfort and the surrounding countryside is also to be explored." The free-floating principle - i.e., returning the car regardless of location - makes car-sharing providers even more attractive.

Go to complete study

Text: ZHAW

On March 2, the National Council discussed the ratification of the Paris Climate Agreement. The implementation has a greater importance for Switzerland than for many other countries, because the effects of global warming are massive in this country.

This United Nations agreement aims to limit the average global temperature increase compared with pre-industrial times to below 2 degrees Celsius. If possible, a maximum rise of 1.5 degrees Celsius is even targeted. However, this goal can only be achieved with drastically reduced CO2 emissions.

Much less snow, 10 times more tropical nights, 3 times more heat days
The report "Focus on Climate Switzerland. Basics Consequences and Perspectives" by ProClim of the Swiss Academy of Sciences shows that Switzerland is affected by climate change to an above-average extent. Compared to the global average, the average annual temperature here has risen about twice as much over the last 150 years, at 1.8 degrees Celsius. If the "2 degree target" of the Paris Agreement is achieved, this means a total warming for Switzerland compared to pre-industrial times of 3 to 3.5 degrees by the end of the century. If not enough efforts are made and the global temperature rises by 3 degrees, for example, the annual mean temperatures in this country would rise by 4 to 5 degrees by the end of the century.

Warming has striking consequences for health, for example: if the 2-degree target is achieved ("2-degree world"), climate researchers expect an average of about 5 tropical nights (today 1-2) and 15-20 heat days (today 10-15) per year in the Central Plateau by 2085. With a global warming of 3 degrees ("3-degree world"), on the other hand, there will be 15 to 20 tropical nights and about 30 to 40 heat days, with higher maximum temperatures at the same time.

Stronger warming also has noticeable consequences for snow tourism: The snowline in the 3-degree world would rise by about 500 meters in altitude by 2085 compared to today, instead of 250 meters as in the 2-degree world, and the average snow depth would decrease by about 60% instead of 30%. The snow season would also be markedly shorter.

These are just a few examples of the many impacts of climate change in Switzerland, as described in detail in the report "Focus on Climate Switzerland".

International actions in demand
Precisely because Switzerland is particularly affected by climate change in an international comparison, globally coordinated action is important for it. This is the only way to curb climate change. By cooperating with the community of states, Switzerland can use its internationally good reputation to
and their innovative strength to set a good example and show that prosperity and climate protection can be reconciled.

National Council Commission gives "go
The international Paris Agreement obliges all countries to voluntarily submit national targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and to take domestic measures to achieve these targets. However, the targets submitted by countries to date are still far from sufficient to achieve the 2-degree target.
The 2-degree target means that greenhouse gas emissions must fall to zero in the 2nd half of the 21st century. For Switzerland, the Federal Council has now formulated the target of a 50 percent reduction by 2030, compared with 1990 levels. The National Council's Committee for the Environment, Spatial Planning and Energy already discussed the convention on January 31, 2017, and approved it for ratification in this form. However, two minorities would like to ratify the convention, but with a reduction target of 40 and 60 percent respectively. Another minority is asking for the proposal not to be adopted. It is clear that the less Switzerland reduces its greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, the more it will shift the problem onto future generations.

Text: Academies Switzerland

Innovating together: 8 Swiss municipal utilities and 5 industry partners come together under the umbrella of "Swisspower Innovation" to further develop their business models and products in a cross-company and cross-industry innovation platform. The open and collaborative innovation management combines internal and external resources and connects the municipal utilities with industry and research partners.

Energy utilities are confronted with a rapid change in the industry: Digitalization, falling electricity prices, changing customer needs, liberalization steps of the energy market, transformation of the entire energy system. In order to remain competitive in the future, municipal utilities must adapt their business field activities. An important key to successful corporate development lies in innovation - in business models, products and services. Swisspower Stadtwerke has therefore decided to establish a cross-company and cross-sector innovation platform and to jointly develop future-proof services and products until they are ready for the market.

Eight municipal utilities are launching under the umbrella of "Swisspower Innovation": SH POWER (Schaffhausen), IBAarau AG, WWZ AG (Zug), StWZ Energie AG (Zofingen), Technische Betriebe Kreuzlingen, Energie Thun AG, Stadtwerke Wetzikon and SWL Energie AG (Lenzburg).

Together, the municipal utilities pursue the goal of increasing their innovation capability and speed through mutual exchange. To this end, they also obtain impetus and know-how from the market, from industrial partners and research centers. ABB, Siemens, IBM and Migros have agreed to be partners in Swisspower Innovation. A research collaboration with the Energy Center of the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) has also already been agreed. Other municipal utilities and research partners such as Empa are also interested.

Ronny Kaufmann, CEO of Swisspower AG, reiterates the common goal of the innovation platform: "By participating in the cross-company and cross-sector innovation platform, the municipal utilities are positioning themselves as a driving force for a future energy system."

Open Innovation

An open and collaborative innovation process provides space to jointly develop unexplored ideas. Through the collaboration of companies from different sectors as well as industry and science partners, in-house (knowledge) resources and external capabilities are combined. Overcoming corporate boundaries expands the scope for developing ideas and leads to the development of complementary know-how. An additional culture of employee participation strengthens interdisciplinary learning processes, promotes creativity and thus activates further untapped innovation potential.

Source: Swisspower AG

A study by the Fraunhofer Institutes for Wind Energy and Energy Technology Systems (IWES) and for Building Physics (IBP), commissioned by the German think tank Agora Energiewende, has investigated how the German government's targets in relation to the Climate Protection Plan 2050 can be achieved. These stipulate that the building sector may only emit 70 to 72 million tons of CO2 by 2030.

The study concludes that the heating sector mainly needs oil phase-out. While gas heating should be at about a similar level as today, oil heating should be replaced by heat pumps. The target is a mix of about 40% gas, 25% heat pumps and 20% heat networks. Today, there are around 6 million oil-fired heating systems in Germany, equivalent to around a quarter of the total heating stock.

As the German weekly newspaper "Welt" reportsIn order to achieve the study's targets, five to six million heat pumps would have to be installed by 2030 - but if things continue at their current pace, the figure will be just one to two million.

Increase efficiency

In addition to abandoning oil, there would also have to be a massive increase in efficiency in the building sector: for example, the heat consumption of buildings would have to be reduced by 25% compared to current levels.

In order to operate the heat pumps in an environmentally friendly manner, the share of renewable electricity is also to be increased to 60%.

About the study

Pilot and demonstration projects for combined passenger mobility, new forms of service for private motorized transport, public transport and non-motorized transport, and projects with demand-oriented measures and innovative approaches: In these three categories, the Coordination Office for Sustainable Mobility KOMO is still accepting project submissions until April 30. KOMO promotes the development and implementation of new ideas for forward-looking mobility forms and services; for example, with start-up financing or financial support for the expansion of a project.

KOMO is supported by the federal agencies ARE, FEDRO, FOEN, FOPH, FOT and SFOE. Since January 2016, the coordination office has replaced the Service Center for Innovative and Sustainable Mobility DZM and has since taken over its tasks.

Find current projects

A interactive map shows an overview of all mobility projects that are currently supported by KOMO or have already been completed. These include the MIWO 2 project, which is concerned with mobility management in housing estates; a carpooling and carsharing project in the canton of Ticino; or a project of the Swiss Heart Foundation, which aims to improve the health of the population by supporting slow-moving traffic.

Intelligent transport systems

This year, the focus is on projects involving intelligent transportation systems and services. These projects will be prioritized. They include projects that network different modes of transport, traffic information and navigation services, projects that improve the data basis and use for sustainable mobility, and smart, IT-based logistics solutions to reduce freight traffic.

But project submissions on open topics are also welcome. In particular, innovative approaches and projects are sought that aim at a sustainable and more efficient use of existing capacities and natural resources, facilitate interchanges, close gaps in the mobility chain, or enable novel intermodal transport solutions.

Projects must have total project costs of at least 50,000 Swiss francs, have a long-term focus and be able to demonstrate transparent project management. Another important criterion is a potential for national impact or at least multiplication and diffusion.

More information can be found in the Project announcement.

In the future, only marine fishery products whose legal origin is guaranteed may be imported into Switzerland. On March 1, 2017, a new regulation will come into force that is intended to contribute to the sustainable use of global fish stocks.

Affected by the regulation on the control of the lawful origin of imported marine fishery products are Pacific and Atlantic salmon, herring, tuna, cod, flatfish and other marine fishery products in fresh, chilled, frozen, salted, minced, dried, smoked or live condition.

Their catch must comply with the national and international legal provisions in force in the exporting countries, as well as with the conservation measures and catch quotas. In the European Union, the import of products from illegal, unreported or unregulated (IUU) fishing has been prohibited since 2010.

Controls for fishery products

To ensure that the marine fishery products are indeed of legal origin, the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO) will carry out controls. Deliveries from countries with recognized official monitoring of fisheries can continue to be imported free of inspection and fees. All countries exporting fishery products can submit an application to the FSVO at any time to be recognized as a state with official monitoring by the authorities.

Preserve resources

These measures are intended to contribute to the sustainable conservation of fishery resources. Today, several fish species are threatened by overfishing, which can lead to a collapse of stocks. By eliminating trade in illegal fishery products, importing countries can make a significant contribution to the protection of fish stocks.

The prepaid recycling fee (vRG) is added to the sales price of electrical appliances by most retailers and importers in order to finance the recycling of discarded appliances and light bulbs. However, this is not compulsory - and not everyone goes along with it.

The SENS E-Recycling Foundation criticizes this and launches the campaign "Close the circle". In this way, it aims to raise awareness among Swiss consumers and encourage them to buy electrical and electronic household appliances, luminaires and lamps from SENS and SLRS partners and to return them to one of these partners or to a SENS collection point at the end of their useful life.

This is because even old equipment for which no recycling fee is charged ends up in the e-recycling system and is a burden on it, but does not pay for the financing.

Voluntary industry solution

Over 600 manufacturers, dealers and importers in Switzerland claim the vRG when they sell an appliance and feed it into the e-recycling loop. In this way, they finance an extremely dense and convenient take-back system for end-of-life electrical and electronic equipment, lamps and luminaires for consumers. This system is organized and managed by the two foundations SENS and SLRS.

Since the take-back systems are voluntary industry solutions, companies are free to participate. A number of importers who import electrical and electronic equipment, lamps and luminaires into Switzerland do not levy the vRG. Through channels such as municipal collection points and the trade, their discarded equipment nevertheless often ends up in the SENS take-back system - i.e. is disposed of at the expense of the paying system participants.

SENS has been trying for some time to get the "non-system participants" to connect. Some of those approached have so far explicitly refused to make their contribution to the sustainable solution for their old equipment. SENS assumes that their eRecycling circuit will suffer a loss of around 1 million francs as a result. The purchase of devices abroad, where no vRG is levied either, results in further losses of an estimated 2 to 3 million Swiss francs (study "Shopping Tourism and Online Retailing."). Therefore SENS publishes a regularly updated list of these conscious deniers.

Comprehensive recycling system

With the vRG, an efficient, nationwide waste disposal system is maintained in Switzerland.

Raw materials from end-of-life equipment can be recovered (between 1990 and 2015, for example, 17,000 tons of aluminum, 530,000 tons of iron and steel, 28,000 tons of copper, and 103 kilos of gold were collected in the SENS eRecycling circuit).

Most e-waste is recycled in Switzerland and not exported to countries whose quality and environmental guidelines for scrapping do not correspond to those of Switzerland.