News
Daily stories on the circular economy in Switzerland and beyond.
Cotierra raises 3 million USD to improve soil quality with biochar
Zurich - Cotierra has secured an investment of 3 million U.S. dollars. The Zurich-based startup converts organic waste generated locally in tropical regions into biochar. With the new capital, Cotierra aims to establish its product as a cornerstone for soil improvement in regenerative agriculture.
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Terra Sintrópica wins FAO Recognition Award
Mértola/Berlingen - The Terra Sintrópica project in southeast Portugal has received a Recognition Award at the One Health conference of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations in Rome. Co-founder and board member Katharina Serafimova is implementing the same concept in Lake Constance as well.
Read more →Besfort Biljali of Lumvin named as Entrepreneur of the Year by swissalbs
Zurich/Baden/Winterthur – The Swiss-Albanian community has honored Besfort Biljali as its Entrepreneur of the Year in partnership with Gisada. Focusing on circular economy concepts, his start-up Lumvin was awarded the “Leuchtturmpreis” at the 2026 Aargau Business Awards.
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Car importers can reduce CO2 penalty payments by turning to synthetic fuels
Bern - Car importers have the chance to save millions in CO2 penalty payments if they invest in synthetic fuels. This is just one of the findings to emerge from the inaugural Power-to-X Congress, which was organized by the network SPIN and energie-cluster.ch.
Read more →ReCIRCLE equips reusable containers with magnetic anti-theft technology
Bern/Brussels - Sustainable packaging company ReCIRCLE, based in the Swiss capital Berne, has designed a clip for its reusable containers, which are used at supermarket self-checkout counters. Developed as part of the EU research project STOPP, the solution combines the clip with a magnetic anti-theft device, similar to those found in clothing stores.
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Swiss wool tested as alternative to synthetic covers used to protect glaciers
Lausanne/Vevey/Worb - Lamb’s wool performs very similarly to the synthetic geotextiles previously used as part of efforts to limit glacier melt. This finding is based on the insights obtained to date as part of the "Keep It Wool" project, a collaboration between the Summit Foundation and the University of Lausanne.
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DeltaMem is revolutionising water treatment through European collaboration
Allschwil/Brussels - Membrane specialist DeltaMem plays a key role in the European MEloDIZER consortium, supporting the scale-up of a new technology for sustainable water treatment. The company from Northern Switzerland was supported in joining the consortium by Euresearch, the Swiss advisory network for EU research framework programs.
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Vetropack targets growth with lightweight reusable bottles
Bülach/St. Prex/Pöchlarn - Glass packaging manufacturer Vetropack, headquartered in the Swiss canton of Zurich, has announced plans to offer its reusable Rezon bottles beyond Austria, where they are produced at Vetropack’s site in Pöchlarn. The glass containers are up to 30 per cent lighter than conventional bottles and are part of Vetropack’s growth strategy 2035.
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NIKIN celebrates anniversary with a trip to Africa
Aarau - NIKIN is traveling to Kenya and Uganda to mark its 10th anniversary. During the trip, the team behind the sustainable fashion brand is focusing on two key areas: reforestation, a cause it has supported by planting nearly three million trees to date, and the management of used textiles from the Global North.
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Central Switzerland climate program starting second edition
Lucerne - Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from the Swiss cantons of Uri, Schwyz, Obwalden, Nidwalden, and Lucerne can now apply for the second edition of the Innerschweizer Klimaprogramm. The climate program is organized by Zelsius and the Albert Koechlin Foundation, which will cover up to 83 per cent of the costs of consulting services and initial carbon footprint assessments.
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Impact Acoustic and Zumtobel offer lighting and acoustic solutions from a single source
Lucerne/Dornbirn - Impact Acoustic of the Swiss canton of Lucerne and Austrian company Zumtobel Lighting are combining their expertise in acoustics and lighting. Effective immediately, they will jointly deliver standard and custom solutions for spaces worldwide – all from a single source. Both companies share a strong commitment to sustainability.
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INFOMANIAK wins Green Business Award
Geneva/Lucerne - INFOMANIAK NETWORK has received the Green Business Award for its D4 data center. The facility captures and reuses the heat it generates, feeding it into the city’s district heating network. It operates without conventional air conditioning or an external water supply.
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Empa project makes composite recyclable with epoxy resin
St.Gallen/Büsserach - The Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa) has created a completely recyclable, flame-retardant composite for the first time together with ELANTAS from Büsserach in the Swiss canton of Solothurn, part of the German specialty chemicals group Altana. These fire protection materials are used in trains and planes.
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Synhelion and Saipem plan e-fuel plant at RWE
Zurich/Milan/Essen - Synhelion from the Swiss canton of Zurich has commissioned the Italian oil and gas company Saipem to carry out initial planning for a synthetic fuel production plant. The facility will be located at the site of the German energy company RWE in Hürth, near Cologne.
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Oxara plans to establish its construction materials in the UAE
Dietikon/Dubai - Oxara is seeking to bring its Oulesse products to the growing construction market in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The mineral binders for low-CO2 concrete products are to be manufactured and deployed via a network of local partners.
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ARCHISONIC Natura Cotton from Impact Acoustic gains C2C certifications
Lucerne - ARCHISONIC Natura Cotton, a material developed by Impact Acoustic for the purpose of acoustic absorption, has secured a Gold certification in the category of Product Circularity and Silver for Material Health in line with the Cradle to Cradle (C2C) Certified Standard.
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HEKS/EPER coordinating emergency housing repairs in Gaza
Zurich/Gaza City - HEKS/EPER launched a project in 2026 to carry out emergency repairs on damaged houses in Gaza. In so doing, it relies on a circular reconstruction approach. This is because Israel has prohibited imports of construction materials such as cement that might also be used for military purposes.
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REAL Luzern supports circular system for textiles with Fabric Loop
Emmen/Zurich - REAL Luzern has joined the Fabric Loop association. In this way, the municipal association, which is responsible for waste management and wastewater treatment for numerous municipalities in the Lucerne region, aims to contribute to the transparent and environmentally sound recycling of textiles.
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Venturelab boosting international growth of 10 cleantech startups
Schlieren - A jury has selected 10 cleantech startups for the 2026 Swiss National Startup Team. During a trip to Munich, Germany, organized by Venturelab, a startup support organization based in Schlieren in the Swiss canton of Zurich, they will meet investors, build strategic connections, and attend expert-led workshops.
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ZHAW team converts liquid bio-waste into energy
Wädenswil/Niederbipp/Vienna - Researchers at Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), in collaboration with Austrian partners, have developed a biorefinery that converts liquid bio-waste into biomethane, biochar, and process heat. The technology could potentially cover around 7 per cent of the energy needs at the TELA GmbH paper mill.
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Swiss Fair Trade announces 23 nominees for Fair Fashion Award
Zurich - Swiss Fair Trade has published the longlist of nominees for this year’s Fair Fashion Award. In total, 17 organizations, projects and companies have been nominated in the “Emerging” category, with an extra six in the running in the “Established” category. This year’s Fair Fashion Award features the tagline “Against Exploitation, For Fair Work”.
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Mammut Sports Group acquired by Chinese company CPE
Seon/Zurich/Beijing - Jacobs Capital from Zurich is selling Mammut Sports Group AG to the Chinese investment firm CPE. Leveraging its network and capital, the new owners will seek to further accelerate the company’s growth across the Asia-Pacific region and North America.
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Grabher earns Digital Product Passport Compass Cradle to Cradle report
Widnau/Lustenau - Grabher Group GmbH now holds the Digital Product Passport Compass Cradle to Cradle report. Awarded by epeaswitzterland, based in Widnau in the Swiss canton of St.Gallen, the report covers all technical nonwovens produced at the Austrian textile products and textile finishing specialist’s Lustenau facility.
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Nettle Circle wins Helvora Fundraising Award
Oberkirch/Ecublens - Nettle Circle has received the Helvora Award. The Lucerne-based startup, which is participating in the EPFL’s Tech4Regen support program, transforms certain nettles into Hilaya, a sustainable natural fiber. The prize gives Nettle Circle access to an Investment Readiness Masterclass offered by Helvora.
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Rieter, Säntis and Valvan join forces to form Recycling Powerhouse
Winterthur/Bühler/Menen - The Rieter Group, Säntis Textiles and the Belgian company Valvan have jointly established Recycling Powerhouse AG with its headquarters in Zug. Leveraging a global franchise network, their aim is to industrialize, standardize and scale textile recycling.
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Pardo Weekender Collection works with materials from Locarno Film Festival 2024
Lyss/Emmen/Locarno - Björn Ischi, pack easy and The Circulator have developed the Pardo Weekender Collection. The limited-edition bags from the collection are made out of materials from Locarno Film Festival 2024. The festival is a partner in the project.
Read more →Fabric Loop presents roadmap for textile circular economy
Zurich - The association Fabric Loop has presented a roadmap up to 2035 for a circular economy in the Swiss textiles industry. Within nine years, all collected textiles in Switzerland are to be sorted, with 60 percent subsequently reused or recycled.
Read more →DePoly opens depolymerization plant in Monthey
Sion/Monthey - DePoly has opened a depolymerization plant in Monthey. The plant breaks down plastic into its original chemical components. The recovered raw materials can then be used in sectors such as packaging, textiles, automotive and electronics.
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Empa seeking to produce ethylene from recycled CO2
Dübendorf - Researchers from the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa) are working on the development of an electrolysis process for the production of ethylene on the basis of recycled carbon dioxide. The research is being carried out within the framework of the EU-funded REACT project.
Read more →Paprec and Metabader agree merger
Carouge/Le Mont-sur-Lausanne - The Paprec Swiss Group and Metabader are to merge. As Paprec Metabader, the newly formed group with more than 31 locations and subsidiaries will become a Swiss market leader in the area of recycling.
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