Communities

Working Together to Reduce Waste in Public Spaces

Reduce waste and littering, raise public awareness, and promote sustainable behavior—with a reusable solution that can be easily integrated into everyday municipal life.

Based on a proven deposit-return system, a holistic approach, and a large network of partners, reCIRCLE creates synergies that benefit municipalities, businesses, and the public.

Prepare your community for the future with a circular economy solution that conserves resources and makes a visible contribution to waste prevention.

ABOUT THE PARTICIPATING MUNICIPALITIES
Zwei Freundinnen Essen gemeinsam
Drei Freundinnen sind im Park und teilen sich was zu essen
Community Toolbox

The reCIRCLE Community Toolbox provides cities and municipalities with concrete tools to raise awareness of waste prevention and integrate reusable items into everyday life. The components can be combined depending on budget and goals—from a small-scale introductory project to a high-visibility local campaign.

Walk the talk

Set a good example as a community: in the cafeteria or, if there isn’t one, in coffee kitchens, break rooms, and during internal meetings. This way, reusable items aren’t just promoted—they’re put into practice. This builds trust and also motivates restaurants, businesses, and the general public to get involved.

BOXY Comic, Box hebt den Deckel
BOX mit bedrucktem Deckel
Logo or Impact – You Decide

The community logo, slogan, or local campaign design can be placed directly on the BOXes or cups. This allows communities and cities to visibly position themselves as modern, reusable locations and bring the message directly into people’s everyday lives. In addition, reCIRCLE containers can be labeled with a local label or QR code. This can link to your website or a campaign page, opening up new opportunities for information, engagement, and dialogue with the public.

Benefits for Your Community or City
  • Less single-use waste in public spaces
  • Less volume in public trash cans
  • Less effort required for cleaning and disposal
  • A well-known reusable system that people actually use, rather than a pilot project or setting up a system from scratch
BOXY Comic, BOX springt glücklich in die Luft
ISY Comic, streck Herz in die Luft
Why It Works

reCIRCLE works because the system is already familiar and has been used in everyday life for years. It’s not a theoretical idea, but an established solution with an existing network, proven products, and simple processes. The campaign also raises awareness of reusable products. Through promotions, reUSE Wednesdays, challenges, social media, and local messaging, reusable products are not only offered but also noticed and used. Communities can start small or combine multiple elements. This lowers the barrier to entry and enables a budget-friendly rollout.

Comments from municipalities or cities

As Head of Sustainability, it’s important to me that we—including Noemi Bossart of Stadtwerke St. Gallen / City of St. Gallen—can enjoy our lunch without creating a lot of waste. The reCIRCLE containers are perfect for this. Using reusable tableware not only helps the person using it to reduce their environmental impact, but also inspires others to follow suit. It needs to be as easy as possible for people to use—in other words, it needs to be available right where you need it: at your favorite restaurant, takeout spot, or bakery. It needs to be dishwasher-safe, easy to handle, not get too hot when holding warm food, and you should be able to return it just about anywhere. reCIRCLE does exactly all of that.

Noemi Bossart, St. Gallen Public Utilities / City of St. Gallen
I want to set an example