When a group of kids bundles up and heads out into the cold with reflective vests and wagons, you might assume it’s just a community service day. But in the Swiss village of Staufen where I live, this paper collection reveals something much deeper: how quickly our consumption habits change, and how much a small community relies on the commitment of its residents.
A Community Effort in the Cold
Our town holds six paper collections each year. Two are organized by local sports clubs, two by the CEVI (a church youth organization), and two by the primary school students. This week, about 140 children from grades 4–6 met early in the morning, bundled up, and split into small groups to collect paper from assigned streets. Many brought their own wagons, and despite freezing temperatures, the mood was cheerful, more like a team event than a chore.
Residents generally support the effort by bundling their paper neatly and leaving it in visible, protected spots. But not every pile is perfect.
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| Photo by Digital Buggu |
Sometimes the paper is loose, or the bundles are tied so weakly that they fall apart. In those moments, teachers step in, and even local residents do too, loading the paper into their cars and offering encouragement to the kids.
A Changing Landscape
The students themselves notice a shift. The amount of paper collected has steadily decreased in recent years, not only because fewer people read print newspapers, but also because many households now take their recyclable materials directly to collection points in nearby towns.
This trend is reflected in Switzerland’s national statistics. In 1995, the average Swiss person consumed around 215 kg (474 pounds) of paper and cardboard per year. By 2005, that number had risen to about 224 kg, partly due to what experts call the “paper paradox”: even as computers and the internet became common, many people still printed emails and documents, and direct-mail advertising was booming. Free commuter newspapers like 20 Minuten also flooded public transport, only to be discarded at the end of the day.
By 2015, the figure dropped to around 194 kg, and the most recent data from 2023 shows it fell below 100 kg per person for the first time. That's about 220 pounds. Yet the decline is slowing, largely because of our modern lifestyle: online shopping, packaging, and food delivery generate massive amounts of cardboard and disposable containers.
The Swiss System Compared to North America
This is where North American readers might find the Swiss approach surprising.
In the U.S. and Canada, recycling systems are often built around municipal services, curbside pickup, and sometimes deposit-return programs (like bottle deposits). In many regions, there are also strong incentives to reduce landfill waste, such as tipping fees or pay-as-you-throw systems.
In Switzerland, recycling relies more heavily on individual responsibility. There is no nationwide bottle deposit system comparable to Germany’s. Instead, people are expected to sort and dispose of recyclables correctly, and they are also charged for non-recyclable waste. Remember the "trash stickers"? In other words: the system assumes you will do the right thing, and it penalizes you when you don’t.
The Hidden Work Behind Clean Streets
Even in a place like Staufen, not all litter disappears. Staff from the municipal public works department still regularly pick up cigarette butts, plastic bottles, and cans at known hotspots.
Another problem is waste that is disposed of incorrectly in green bins, including exotic finds such as nail polish bottles, meat in its original packaging, coffee capsules, dog feces, and so-called compostable plastic bags, which often do not decompose completely and therefore have to be sorted out.
The biggest problem is that these items don’t just pollute the environment; they can also introduce microplastics into the soil, which eventually enter the food chain.
Why It Works
So why does Switzerland’s system work at all? Because people show up. Not because they are forced to, but because they care.
The recurring paper collection is more than a recycling event, it’s a reminder that waste management is a community effort. Kids learn responsibility. Residents show respect for shared space. Local volunteers step in when needed. And the public works team keeps the system running.
I'm quite happy about our situation. Now I'd love to hear how things work where you live - let me know!
I loved how you captured the beauty in everyday moments without overthinking them. This is a good reminder that so much of life’s meaning shows up quietly in ordinary days, if we’re paying attention.
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