Switzerland mulls nationwide uniform fine for littering

Littering in Switzerland could cost up to CHF300 ($372). On Wednesday, the Swiss government launched a consultation on an ordinance to introduce a national fine for this purpose. Fines for littering already exist at cantonal and municipal level. At Parliament's request, the government is planning a national penalty to replace the existing ones, for anyone over the age of 16 at the time of the offence. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox A fine of CHF100 could be imposed for throwing away or abandoning a single small piece of litter, such as a cigarette butt or a sandwich wrapper, the governing Federal Council said in a press release. The fine will rise to CHF200 if two or more items of litter are left behind. "Small litter" means litter of no more than 35 litres. A fine of up to CHF300 may be imposed for municipal waste between 35 and 110 litres. For waste exceeding this volume, ordinary criminal proceedings will be initiated and the maximum fine will be ...