IGORA’S STORY OF SUCCESS:
RECYCLING RATIO AFTER RECYCLING RATIO

Since 20 years, IGORA has been very active in the collecting and recycling of empty aluminium packaging. Together with the drinks and aluminium industry, the cooperative has elaborated a well thought-out, private enterprise collecting and recycling concept, which is not built up on a compulsory but a volunteer basis. IGORA quickly became a powerful organisation. Since 1989, the company gives a special emphasis to increased environmental awareness, in the media, at local authorities and in the cities, as well as during public events.

• 1989 In order to prevent the threatening, even if absurd, ban of aluminium drink cans by the Executive Federal Council, beverage enterprises and the aluminium industry found IGORA. The collecting system of aluminium cans was set up. Approximately 110 million cans are sold in Switzerland.
• 1990 After intensive negotiations with the EDI (Federal Department of Domestic Politics) and the BUS (Federal Department for Environment), an agreement is reached on a decree for drinks packing (VGV), with permissible trash remainders per can. The prepaid recycling sum (VRB) of 5 cents per can is presumed to finance the entire activities of IGORA. Coop withdraws aluminium drink cans from the sales surfaces.
• 1992 The recycling ratio for aluminium cans achieves 68 per cent. The IGORA information-mobile drives around Switzerland, informing schools and local authorities about the sense of collecting aluminium. Together with the materials such as glass, PET, tins, textiles and batteries, IGORA founded VSRO, the Association of Swiss Recycling Organisations.
• 1993 New fashionable can presses are put into action. The recycling ratio for aluminium cans reached 80 per cent.
• 1996 Producers of pet food in aluminium tins join the IGORA system.
• 1997 Producers of foodstuffs in aluminium tubes join the IGORA system. A study made by EMPA Testmaterials (the federal material and research institution) proves the sense of recycling aluminium tubes.
• 2001 A study by EMPA proves the positive contribution of aluminium cans for a long-term development. Adaptation of the VGV and a change to the system of recycling ratios are the objective.
• 2002 The IGORA mirror poster campaign causes sensation. Coop re-introduces aluminium cans.
• 2003 Migros newly introduces aluminium cans. Positive EMPA study on the long-term effect of aluminium tins and tubes.
• 2004 Reduction of the prepaid recycling sum (VRB) to 3 cents per can. Start of the co-operation with Nespresso.
• 2005 New reduction of the prepaid recycling sum (VRB) to 2,5 cents per can.
• 2006 New reduction of the prepaid recycling sum (VRB) to 2 cents per can. Aldi becomes a non-voting partner.
• 2007 New reduction of the prepaid recycling sum (VRB) to 1.5 cents per can.
• 2008 New reduction of the prepaid recycling sum (VRB) to 1 cents per can. Coop becomes a voting member. Lidl becomes a non-voting partner. Can sales is approx. 450 million pieces.
• 2009 IGORA celebrates the 20-years anniversary.
• 2010 Denner becomes a voting member. Can sales is approx. 540 million pieces.
  

IGORA and aluminium – these two words form an inseparable pair in Switzerland. There is hardly any household without used aluminium. And there is hardly any Swiss household where aluminium is not collected, in order to recycle this precious material. All this is the merit of IGORA. In this chapter, you will discover, who is IGORA, who is behind this cooperative and who are the people working day after day for IGORA. They do their utmost in order to increase even more the heaps of collected aluminium cans, tubes and tins. Click here - and we will tell you more about us and IGORA.