Littering

Littering refers to the careless, careless  leaving and throwing away of waste in public spaces (bus stops, parks, sidewalks, train stations, school grounds, swimming pool meadows, etc.). Littering causes high costs every year. More than 150 million Swiss francs are spent annually throughout Switzerland to clean up public spaces from littering, and the trend is rising. Behind this are various developments, such as the increase in mobility and on-the-go consumption. The pressure of use for leisure activities has also increased sharply.

The Litter Toolbox provides necessary basic information on the topic, summarizes experiences and best practices from various cantons and municipalities, and promotes networking among stakeholders.

The toolbox is a result of the anti-littering campaign of the canton of Thurgau. The cantons of Thurgau, Zurich, St. Gallen, Solothurn, Schwyz, Glarus, Zug and the Principality of Liechtenstein as well as the city of Zug collaborated in the development and financing of the new, holistically oriented tool, with the participation also of the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), the Conference of Heads of Environmental Offices (KVU) as well as the Interessengemeinschaft für eine saubere Umwelt (IGSU) and the specialist organization "Kommunale Infrastruktur" of the Association of Municipalities and Cities. The toolbox is aimed at decision-makers at all political levels. The toolbox does not contain ready-made concepts, but it provides tools and recommendations for measures that can be tailored to the situation. The more actors contribute their experiences, network and learn from each other, the more effective the tool will be.

Littering Toolbox

Contact persons