VaLoo

On the World Toilet Day 2021, 44 actors from across the country founded the network ‘VaLoo’ to trigger a paradigm shift towards circular and resource-oriented sanitation in Switzerland. Or, as they like to put it: to create VAlue from what normally ends up in the LOO. As its first policy activity, the network’s advocacy working group prepared a statement on the partial revision of the Environmental Protection Act (USG), which aims to strengthen the Swiss circular economy.

In its statement, VaLoo stressed two principles needed for circularity in sanitation: first, source separation of liquid waste streams and second, the reduction of water use to make resource recovery technologically and economically feasible. Further, it welcomed the planned innovation support mechanism through regulatory sandboxes (i.e. innovation spaces to test new technologies or business models and align them with existing regulatory frameworks), while stressing that if they should enable circular sanitation technologies to flourish, they should exempt pilot projects from laws beyond the USG.

Besides the commitment and efforts of its members and the managing board, the mission of VaLoo is enabled by the Migros Pioneer Fund.