Together with Mexico and the Republic of Korea, it forms the Environmental Integrity Group (EIG). It is very active in recycling and anti-litter regulation and is one of the world's leading recyclers. The Global Green Economy Index 2014 placed Switzerland among the top ten green economies in the world. Switzerland has developed an efficient recycling system for most recyclable materials. These traditions began in 1865 when the industrialist Hans Caspar Escher produced the first modern Swiss paper from recycled raw materials in Biberist.
Switzerland also has an economical waste disposal system that relies mainly on recycling and energy-producing incinerators.
