• In Switzerland, 2,700 tonnes of plastic waste are littered in the environment.
• Plastic is not biodegradable. It can remain in the environment for centuries, or may never disappear.
• Plastic breaks down into small pieces that spread in the environment and are ingested by wildlife.

The problem is that plastic is not a biodegradable material³. It can remain in the environment for centuries before becoming harmless. It may even be that it never disappears⁴ in nature, meaning that all the plastic released into the environment could still be there. Given how slowly it degrades, plastic accumulates in the environment, increasing pressure on ecosystems. With rising production, this pollution could triple by 2040⁵!

The problem is that plastic is not a biodegradable material³. It can remain in the environment for centuries before becoming harmless. It may even be that it never disappears⁴ in nature, meaning that all the plastic released into the environment could still be there. Given how slowly it degrades, plastic accumulates in the environment, increasing pressure on ecosystems. With rising production, this pollution could triple by 2040⁵!

Plastic pollution has various sources⁸, including littering, which refers to the abandonment, whether voluntary or not, of this waste in public spaces or in nature. The types of waste most commonly found in nature are made of plastic: PET bottles, packaging, cigarette butts, etc... In Switzerland, littering practices are estimated to be responsible for the release of 2'700 tonnes of plastic into the environment⁹.

Plastic pollution has various sources⁸, including littering, which refers to abandoning this waste, whether intentionally or not, in public spaces or in nature. The waste most commonly found in nature is plastic: PET bottles, packaging, cigarette butts, etc... In Switzerland, littering practices are estimated to be responsible for the release of 2'700 tonnes of plastic into the environment⁹.

To help fight plastic pollution at your level, adopt the right habits:

• Reduce the use of plastic packaging and make sure it is recycled or disposed of properly.
• When hiking, bring a bag for your waste, choose reusable containers, and a reusable water bottle instead of disposable bottles.
• In mountain restaurants and shops, encourage phasing out single use plastics in favor of sustainable alternatives.

Together, let’s keep our mountains beautiful and plastic free.

1. Our World in Data. « Global Plastic Production with Projections ». Consulté le 15 septembre 2025. https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/global-plastic-production-projections?form=MG0AV3.
2. Environnent, U. N. « Plastic Pollution ». 2 août 2022. https://www.unep.org/plastic-pollution.
3. Avio, Carlo Giacomo, Stefania Gorbi, et Francesco Regoli. « Plastics and Microplastics in the Oceans: From Emerging Pollutants to Emerged Threat ». Marine Environmental Research 128 (juillet 2017): 2-11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2016.05.012.
4. Napper, I E, et R C Thompson. Plastics and the Environment. 2023. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-environ-112522-072642.
5. Napper, I E, et R C Thompson. Plastics and the Environment. 2023. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-environ-112522-072642.
6. Napper, I E, et R C Thompson. Plastics and the Environment. 2023. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-environ-112522-072642.
7. Summit Foundation - Bulle Microplastique https://summit-foundation.org/bulle-wouh/
8. Napper, I E, et R C Thompson. Plastics and the Environment. 2023. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-environ-112522-072642.
9. OFEV, Office fédéral de l’environnement. « Les matières plastiques dans l’environnement ». Consulté le 10 septembre 2025. https://www.bafu.admin.ch/bafu/fr/home/themen/thema-abfall/abfallpolitik-und-massnahmen/kunststoffe-in-umwelt.html.