The Swiss attach a lot of importance to recycling. Ordinary citizens are encouraged to recycle as much as possible. In many cantons householders pay a tax according to the volume of rubbish they put out for the dustmen to collect. This acts as an incentive to dispose of anything recyclable at recycling points for which they do not have to pay.

The Swiss are champion recyclers. In 2003, 47% of all urban waste was recycled - a new Swiss record. They recycled 70% of paper, 95% of glass, 71% of plastic bottles, 85-90% of aluminium cans and 75% of tin cans.

Not only individuals are involved in collecting this rubbish. Companies like the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) play their part too.

Every year the SBB collects from its trains:

2.5 million plastic bottles, weighing 65,000 kg (143,300 lb) - enough for 276,000 T-shirts or filling for 39,500 sleeping bags

2 million aluminium cans, weighing 29,000 kg (63,930 lb) - recycling them saves 116 tonnes of bauxite and takes only a 20th of the energy that it takes to produce them from scratch

Nearly 1 million glass bottles, weighing 190 tonnes, which are resmelted

3,608 tonnes of newspapers and magazines, which works out at 50 kg (110 lb) per carriage per year.