How It Ticks: The Swiss Culture, Business & Life Podcast Switzerland's Plastic Paradox: Why We Burn 85% of Our Waste | Javier Pérez-Ramirez
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Sep 1, 2025 
Javier Pérez-Ramírez, a leading mind in catalysis engineering from ETH Zurich, tackles the pressing issue of plastic waste. He reveals that only about 10% of plastic is effectively recycled, exposing a massive gap between public perception and reality. The conversation goes beyond mere statistics, discussing the differences between mechanical and chemical recycling. Javier sheds light on Switzerland's waste management strategies and emphasizes that individual actions can make a difference in improving recycling outcomes.
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Know The Chemical Recycling Routes
- Chemical recycling methods like hydrolysis and pyrolysis already exist with varying readiness.
- Expect different outputs: hydrolysis recovers monomers, while pyrolysis yields fuels and lubricants, not original monomers.
Multiscale Challenge Of Scaling Recycling
- Scaling chemical recycling requires atomic-scale catalyst design plus reactor, process and supply-chain integration.
- Reactor geometry and feed handling can change reaction rates by orders of magnitude, so multiscale design matters.
A Decade To Make A Real Impact
- Chemical recycling could make a meaningful impact in about a decade if research, investment and policy align.
- Ten years is optimistic but realistic for the chemical industry given scale-up timelines.