Draft of the Packaging Ordinance - VSPR informs

The consultation period for the draft of the new Packaging Ordinance (VerpV) ended on October 16, 2025. The aim of the ordinance is to strengthen the circular economy in the packaging sector and introduce uniform requirements for plastic packaging in particular. The new ordinance also focuses on a take-back obligation for retailers for all types of packaging.

As the Swiss Plastic Recyclers Association (VSPR), we have submitted a comprehensive statement. Our assessment is based on the expertise of our members and many years of experience in the collection, sorting and recycling of plastic packaging from households.

At the heart of the draft regulation are take-back and recycling obligations for manufacturers and retailers who place plastic packaging on the market. In future, anyone who is not part of a recognized industry solution will be obliged to take back this packaging at points of sale and recycle it. This requirement will be supplemented by binding recycling targets: At least 55% of single-use plastic packaging and 70% of beverage cartons are to be recycled. If this target is not met, the draft provides for further measures - such as the introduction of a deposit system or an early fee.

In its statement, the VSPR generally welcomes the thrust of the new ordinance. The recycling of plastic packaging is to be promoted, existing structures strengthened and the joint responsibility of distributors enshrined in law. These are goals that the VSPR has been actively pursuing for years. Our collection systems already operate over 1,000 collection sites in Switzerland - with clear quality standards, external monitoring and controlled recycling. The take-back obligation for packaging is to be extended to all types of packaging, which poses challenges in terms of monitoring and control, but is also welcomed by the VSPR.

At the same time, the VSPR also sees critical points in the draft ordinance. For example, there is a lack of concrete, comprehensible targets - such as for the use of recyclates, minimum requirements for packaging design or the recognition of existing industry solutions. The proposed recycling target of 55% is also very high from today's perspective. Experience shows that this value is difficult to achieve under the current market conditions - with low plastic prices, a lack of incentives for recyclate and competition with the fee bag.

Another key point concerns the role of industry solutions. Although the draft regulation gives them an important function, it does not define any specific requirements for their design, quality assurance or transparency. The VSPR is calling for clarity here: systems such as ours - with licensing, charter, monitoring manual and independent control - offer a tried-and-tested basis on which to build. Binding standards are needed to ensure that objectives are achieved, but also technological openness so as not to hinder innovation.