With the Recycling Mobile Through Olten
10.04.2026 | from Verein IGSU
Reading time: 3 minutes
Image rights: IG saubere Umwelt IGSU
10.04.2026, Temperatures are rising, and people are spending more time outdoors, having picnics on lawns, benches, and walls. In the process, food and drink packaging is often left behind. To raise awareness of the littering issue among the residents of Olten and prepare them for the challenges of the warm season, ambassador teams from the Swiss Competence Centre for Littering IGSU are traveling through the city with their recycling mobiles.
In the warm season, waste increasingly ends up on the ground instead of in the bin. The initial field experiments of the 'Large Swiss Littering Study' have shown that anti-littering measures reduce littering in picnic and leisure zones by about a third. Personal awareness dialogues were also tested: conversations with passers-by about littering and recycling reduced littering by 27 percent. The IGSU ambassador teams also conduct such conversations. They recently started their tour through Switzerland this year. On April 10 and 11, 2026, they can be found in Olten with their recycling mobiles: At the train station, along the Aare, and in the old town, they encourage the public to throw their waste into the bin. 'People who are with friends, under pressure, or distracted by their mobile phones often leave their waste behind,' explains René Wernli, Head of the Works Yard in Olten. 'That's why the commitment of the IGSU ambassador teams is so valuable: They remind the residents of what littering can cause and that there is almost always a waste bin nearby.'
Sustainable Awareness
Every year, IGSU ambassador teams raise awareness of the littering issue among up to 196,000 people. In parks, catering areas, squares, schools, markets, and events, they encourage children, teenagers, and adults in direct conversations to dispose of their waste correctly. With charm, humor, and creative actions like 'Crime Scene Littering' or 'StreetUnArt,' the IGSU ambassador teams meet their counterparts on an equal footing and leave a lasting impression. In addition to the ambassador teams, IGSU offers many other awareness measures: It organizes the annual national IGSU Clean-Up Day, which this year will take place on September 18 and 19, 2026, supported by the children's book character Globi. Furthermore, it assists cities, municipalities, and schools in implementing space sponsorships or with age-appropriate school workshops on littering, recycling, and environmental protection.
Research for the Environment
In the 'Large Swiss Littering Study,' it further examines the effectiveness of various measures against littering in cooperation with the University of Applied Psychology FHNW. In the summer of 2025, 'picnic and leisure zones' were the first of a total of three settings scrutinized. Further field experiments will be conducted in 2026, this time in 'catering zones around takeaways.' In 2027, experiments are planned along 'overland roads.'
Media Contact
Nora Steimer, IGSU Managing Director, 043 500 19 91, 076 406 13 86, medien@igsu.ch
René Wernli, Head of the Works Yard, City of Olten, 062 206 17 48
If you need a quote for an article about littering or have a question on the topic, the IGSU experts are happy to help.
IGSU
Grubenstrasse 29
8045 Zurich
Tel 043 500 19 99
info@igsu.ch
www.igsu.ch
Editor's note: Image rights belong to the respective publisher. Image rights: IG saubere Umwelt IGSU
Conclusion of this article: « With the Recycling Mobile Through Olten »
Verein IGSU
The IGSU is the Swiss Competence Centre Against Littering and has been committed to a clean environment nationally with preventive awareness measures since 2007. One of the most well-known measures is the national IGSU Clean-Up Day, taking place this year on September 18 and 19, 2026.
The IGSU is supported by the IGORA Cooperative for Aluminium Recycling, PET-Recycling Switzerland, VetroSwiss, McDonald's Switzerland, Migros, Coop, Valora, Feldschlösschen, Coca-Cola Switzerland, and the International Chewing Gum Association. These also engage in their own activities against littering, such as providing additional waste bins, conducting regular clean-up tours around their branches, or organizing clean-up actions with the public.
Note: The "About Us" text is taken from public sources or from the company profile on HELP.ch.
Source: Verein IGSU, Press release
Original article published on: «Mit dem Recyclingmobil durch Olten»