SBB is playing a pioneering role in the circular economy and therefore helping to transform Switzerland into a sustainable society and economy.
Many of the industrial goods produced worldwide are made from non-renewable materials and are usually recycled, dumped in landfill or incinerated after being used. This leads to a considerable amount of raw materials being irreversibly destroyed. The circular economy, on the other hand, takes nature’s material cycle as its model and aims to produce products without harmful emissions, to use products for as long as possible and to recover raw materials from products that are no longer usable so that the materials can be reused an infinite number of times. The circular economy is much more than simply recycling: it is an economic model that reduces the consumption of raw materials and conserves and supports the regeneration of natural resources.
SBB is one of the largest providers of external contracts in Switzerland with an annual procurement volume of CHF 6 billion, meaning significant material and energy use. An analysis carried out on material flow underlines the importance of the circular economy for SBB. With over 77 million tonnes of material, SBB possesses one of the largest material banks in Switzerland. The material flow resulting from SBB’s activities has considerable impacts on the environment and the climate. By achieving a circular economy, a large part of this material flow can be avoided and the resulting environmental impacts greatly reduced. For this reason, SBB is in the perfect position to play a leading role in the circular economy.
Since January 2021, SBB has been running an interdivisional Centre of Excellence focused on the circular economy. The team implements a wide range of projects, supports the initiation and development of circular business models, develops expertise throughout the Group and, where appropriate, collaborates closely with the Waste Management Centre of Excellence and its own recycling centre. On the basis of the Group-wide material flow analysis, opportunities and potential will be systematically addressed, rated on an ecological and economical scale and put into action in a targeted way over the coming years.
How can we get to a circular economy?
The use of circular business principles means that SBB can reduce its costs, secure important resources for the long term and help rail operations become more sustainable. The transition from the linear to the circular economy offers great potential.
SBB wants to take the circularity of products and services into account when making procurement and investment decisions and introduce circular business practices in the following three ways:
The quantity of newly extracted primary raw materials is to be reduced to a minimum. This is achieved by using fewer materials and increasing the proportion of recycled and/or rapidly renewable materials. In addition, care will be taken to ensure that materials can be recycled or broken down again at the end of their use.
Example: asphalt recycling.
SBB is pioneering asphalt recycling. SBB has been using recycled asphalt since 2020 (for 60% of the bottom layer and 40% of the visible top layer). By using this mix instead of new asphalt, SBB can reduce the environmental impact of building a platform by a quarter.
Example: circular construction of rail engineering buildings.
In future, the typical rail engineering building at SBB will be built in a modular fashion out of wooden elements. The facade will consist of wooden curtain wall elements with optional photovoltaic modules. The roof area will also be available for a photovoltaic system. This type of building absorbs less heat than conventional buildings made of concrete. Electronic equipment in the building therefore requires less cooling, resulting in a reduction in energy usage. At the end of its service life, the building can be broken up into its individual components and separated by material type to ensure it meets the criteria of circularity.
Assets are to be used more intensively and for a longer periods of time. This increase in efficiency will mean that fewer materials and products are used to achieve the same output. Material use, energy consumption and costs are therefore saved.
Example: renovation of train coaches.
The renovation of type EW IV train coaches includes protecting the body and floor of the coach against corrosion damage and upgrading the passenger compartment. These coaches are expected to be used in SBB’s long-distance services into the 2030s, thus keeping them in circulation for longer.
At the end of a product’s useful life, its materials are to be retained in circulation as far as possible, therefore preventing waste as well as the need for new primary raw materials.
Example: optimising building material cycles through “urban mining”.
In cooperation with Spross Debag, SBB is planning to build a concrete mixing plant on a siding in the middle of Zurich. Mineral waste such as building rubble and demolition materials will be transported there and processed into recycled concrete. This process of “urban mining” optimises the flow of building materials and reduces waste. A useful and sustainable facility will be created by connecting transportation, manufacturing, location and distribution.
Example: strategic partnership with Madaster.
Since 2019, SBB has maintained a strategic partnership with Madaster Switzerland. Madaster compiles an online material registry for buildings and infrastructure. This makes the construction industry more transparent and helps it move to circular practices. Madaster ensures that the materials used in the construction of buildings and installations can be recycled and their value retained. The materials from old buildings can then be used for new construction.
