• Littering (abandoning waste) is a major source of pollution for ecosystems.
• Littering leads to aesthetic, environmental, and economic consequences.
• To protect our mountains, Summit Foundation set up the Clean-Up Tour, a series of clean-up events in ski resorts. During these clean-ups, we sometimes find strange objects, such as phones.

Pollution of ecosystems and the biosphere is a major environmental concern. It is also part of the 6 planetary boundaries already exceeded¹, out of 9 in total². Among the main sources of this pollution is littering³. Littering is defined as abandoning waste in the environment, whether intentionally or not. In Switzerland, the items most commonly found⁴ in the environment are cigarette butts, plastics, and glass fragments.

Littering has many consequences, which can be divided into 3 categories⁵:

• Aesthetic: abandoned waste reduces people’s enjoyment of the place.
• Environmental⁶: Abandoned waste is generally not biodegradable and accumulates in the environment. It can trap or injure wildlife and release pollutants into the environment. Waste can be transported over thousands of kilometers and end up in the oceans, or even on mountain summits.
• Economic: cleaning up and preventing littering costs 200 million per year in Switzerland. In addition, littering can harm the attractiveness of tourist destinations.

To protect our landscapes from the effects of littering, Summit Foundation has set up the Clean-Up Tour⁷, a national tour of waste collection in mountain destinations. In 2024, we organized 36 Clean-Ups⁸ that made it possible to collect more than 3000 kg of waste! During these days, we of course pick up cigarette butts, pieces of plastic, and glass fragments, but also more unusual items like hats, walkie-talkies, or even phones! You can find a small selection of the unexpected treasures⁹ collected in the mountains on our website.

To fight littering in the mountains, here are a few simple actions to adopt:

• Remember to close your bags and pockets.
• Limit the use of plastic packaging as much as possible and make sure it is properly recycled or disposed of.
• Pour les fumeurs, pensez à avoir un cendrier de poche sur vous, comme les Ecobox¹⁰ de la Summit Foundation
• Take part in one of our Clean-Ups¹¹.

Handeln wir gemeinsam, um unsere Berge vor Abfällen zu schützen.

1. Notre-environnement. « Limites planétaires ». notre-environnement, 18 septembre 2025. https://www.notre-environnement.gouv.fr/.
2. France, Oxfam. « Qu’est-ce que la Théorie du Donut de l’économiste Kate Raworth ? » Oxfam France, 7 décembre 2020. https://www.oxfamfrance.org/actualite/la-theorie-du-donut-une-nouvelle-economie-est-possible/.
3. Chaudhary, Abdul Haseeb, Michael Jay Polonsky, et Nicholas McClaren. « Littering Behaviour: A Systematic Review ». International Journal of Consumer Studies 45, n^o 4 (2021): 478-510. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.12638.
4. https://www.bafu.admin.ch/dam/bafu/fr/dokumente/abfall/fachinfo-daten/kunststoffe-7-littering.pdf.download.pdf/07-Matieres-plastiques-V.pdf
5. https://www.bafu.admin.ch/bafu/fr/home/themes/dechets/politique-des-dechets-et-mesures/littering.html
6. Napper, I E, et R C Thompson. Plastics and the Environment. 2023. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-environ-112522-072642.
7. Clean-Up Tour - Summit Foundation. s. d. Consulté le 18 septembre 2025. https://summit-foundation.org/clean-up-tour/.
8. Summit Foundation - WORKING FOR CLEANER MOUNTAINS. s. d. Consulté le 18 septembre 2025. https://summit-foundation.org/.
9. Des trésors inattendus - Summit Foundation. s. d. Consulté le 18 septembre 2025. https://summit-foundation.org/inattendus/.
10. https://summit-foundation.org/en/product/ecobox-summit/
11. Clean-Up Tour - Summit Foundation. s. d. Consulté le 18 septembre 2025. https://summit-foundation.org/clean-up-tour/.