When you think of Swiss athletes competing at European or world championship games or the Olympics, one colour comes to mind: red. But that was not the case for the Swiss national ice hockey team at a recent tournament: their jerseys were green.
Tradition of sustainability.
An unusual look for a Swiss sports team, to be sure – but a great way to raise awareness about the potential of using recycled PET to produce textiles for athletic gear. Most people are not aware that sportswear manufacturers offer products made of recycled bottles, even though these products have already been on the market for a while.
Recycling world champions.
The players on the national ice hockey team are not the only ones in Switzerland who are committed to reducing their environmental impact. Sustainability is a Swiss characteristic. Two-thirds of the country’s energy needs, for example, are covered by sustainable sources – the most important being hydroelectric power, which accounts for 59 per cent of energy production. The Swiss are also diligent recyclers: 96 per cent of glass, 90 per cent of aluminium, 81 per cent of paper and 82 per cent of PET bottles are collected and remain in circulation.
Open to innovation.
Strict emissions requirements for vehicles and the popularity of e-bikes show just how serious the Swiss are when it comes to sustainability. This is also true of their attitude toward innovation, whether it is making use of new technologies or developing them themselves. This is reflected in the number of patents registered in the country: 7283 in 2017, which is equivalent to 884 patents per million of inhabitants. An impressive figure that has earned Switzerland the distinction of being the world champion of patents. The driving force behind all this innovation is generated by private businesses, which contribute over two-thirds of the total investments in research and development.
Switzerland: a winning team.
Actively implementing traditional Swiss values creates a competitive advantage on the global business stage. The World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report has put Switzerland at the top of its list for the past nine years in a row – an achievement made possible by the country’s macroeconomic environment, well-functioning labour market and willingness to adapt new technologies.
Green jersey wins.
In addition to being eco-friendly role models, the national ice hockey team also embodies the typically Swiss values of precision and reliability. Thanks to their accuracy and endurance, the green jersey-clad team won the one-hour game with a six-to-one victory.
