Switzerland is preparing a major update to its packaging rules, introducing minimum recycling rates and new obligations intended to improve circularity across the national market. The Federal Council’s proposed Ordinance on Packaging, known as VerpV, will require recycling rates of at least 55% for plastic packaging and 70% for beverage cartons.

The ordinance is scheduled to apply from the beginning of 2027 and will replace packaging legislation introduced in 2000. Its central objective is to reduce packaging’s environmental impact by ensuring that formats placed on the Swiss market are designed to be as recyclable as possible and contain higher levels of recycled material.

The new framework places packaging prevention, recyclability, collection and material recovery within a single regulatory strategy.

By 2030, companies placing packaging on the market will be expected to eliminate unnecessary formats and avoid packaging containing substances classified as hazardous under Switzerland’s chemicals legislation. This requirement could influence material selection, coatings, inks, adhesives and other components used across food, beverage, household and industrial packaging.

The ordinance also responds to political calls for Switzerland to recycle more plastic. Manufacturers and retailers will be required to provide separate collection services for single-use plastic packaging, creating a more structured route for recovering material that may currently be discarded through mixed municipal waste streams.

For producers, the introduction of mandatory collection arrangements is likely to make packaging design more closely connected to operational recycling performance. A package may be technically recyclable, but successful recovery also depends on whether consumers can return it, sorting systems can identify it and recyclers have viable markets for the resulting material.

Minimum recycling rates of 55% for plastic packaging and 70% for beverage cartons will place greater pressure on the value chain to improve collection, sortation and reprocessing capacity. Brand owners may also need to review multilayer structures, labels, closures and barriers that can interfere with recycling efficiency.

• Plastic packaging will be subject to a minimum recycling rate of 55%.
• Beverage cartons will face a minimum recycling rate of 70%.
• Separate collection must be offered for single-use plastic packaging.
• Unnecessary packaging is expected to be removed by 2030.
• Hazardous substances will face stricter limits in packaging applications.

Certain glass formats, including food packaging, will also become subject to an advance disposal fee. Revenue from the fee will contribute to waste management and recycling costs. Beverage containers, however, will remain exempt from a mandatory deposit requirement under the announced framework.

The packaging changes sit alongside amendments to Switzerland’s Ordinance on Waste Avoidance and Disposal. The revised rules seek to increase material recovery and reuse, including the extraction of recyclable substances from filter ash produced by waste incineration plants.

Switzerland is also preparing uniform administrative fines for littering and the illegal disposal of municipal waste. Depending on the material and quantity involved, penalties could reach 250 Swiss francs. The amended waste ordinance was adopted on 24 June 2026 and is due to enter into force on 1 August 2026.

For packaging manufacturers and international brands, the new rules will require careful preparation. Companies may need to redesign packs, strengthen recyclability evidence, review material specifications and work with collection organisations to ensure compliance. Businesses selling into both Switzerland and the European Union will also have to manage differences between the Swiss framework and the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation.

The ordinance reflects a wider global shift towards regulations that judge packaging not only by its intended function, but also by its full life cycle. Recyclability, recycled content, waste prevention and financing of end-of-life systems are becoming increasingly important conditions for market access.

Switzerland’s new approach therefore sends a clear signal to the packaging industry: formats that are unnecessary, hazardous or poorly aligned with recycling infrastructure will face growing regulatory pressure. Producers that simplify materials and invest in circular design will be better positioned for the 2027 transition.