STREIFEN GO CIRCULAR: SUPPORTING SWISS INSTITUTIONS AND CITIZENS IN THE TRANSITION TO CIRCULAR PRODUCTS THROUGH THE SIMPLE STREIFEN

AI Quick Summary

Every year, around 80,000 children in Switzerland receive a high-visibility “Streifen” vest for kindergarten, a safety measure that has become a strong symbol of early childhood. These vests are typically worn only during the two kindergarten years and then discarded, creating an estimated 9 tonnes of textile waste annually. While some small municipalities collect and redistribute used vests, larger cities generally issue new ones each year, leaving families with unused but functional items. This project aims to understand current Streifen management practices and to develop circular systems for refurbishing and reusing them. Its purpose is to empower public institutions and citizens alike to build sustainability literacy and shift toward circular procurement models. Through the example of the Swiss-wide Streifen, the project aims to demonstrate that institutional circularity is not only possible but necessary. Every year, around 80,000 children begin public kindergarten in Switzerland. To help keep them safe on their journey to and from school, each child receives a Streifen (also known as a Triki)—a high-visibility vest made primarily from coated textiles. These vests are worn throughout the two years of kindergarten and have become strongly associated with this early phase of childhood. As such, they are rarely worn beyond that point. While some smaller municipalities collect and redistribute used vests, larger cities typically issue new ones each year. As a result, many families are left with functional Streifen that are no longer used. This leads to an estimated 9 tonnes of textile waste annually. The environmental impact is further compounded by the fact that many children receive an additional high-visibility vest when they start primary school. This project aims to understand current Streifen management practices and to develop circular systems for refurbishing and reusing them. Its purpose is radical: to empower public institutions and citizens alike to build sustainability literacy and shift toward circular procurement models. Through the example of the Swiss-wide Streifen, the project aims to demonstrate that institutional circularity is not only possible but necessary. While product redesign is not within the current project scope, future phases will explore the development of a compliant, circular Streifen, assessing materials (both new and secondary), design, and visual identity, embedding circularity and its educational storytelling into the product and its design.

Project Idea Metadata

• Project Idea Name: STREIFEN GO CIRCULAR: SUPPORTING SWISS INSTITUTIONS AND CITIZENS IN THE TRANSITION TO CIRCULAR PRODUCTS THROUGH THE SIMPLE STREIFEN
• Date: 8/18/2025 8:20:34 PM
• Administrators:
  • Beth Durent

Project Idea Description

Every year, around 80,000 children begin public kindergarten in Switzerland. To help keep them safe on their journey to and from school, each child receives a Streifen (also known as a Triki)—a high-visibility vest made primarily from coated textiles.

These vests are worn throughout the two years of kindergarten and have become strongly associated with this early phase of childhood. As such, they are rarely worn beyond that point. While some smaller municipalities collect and redistribute used vests, larger cities typically issue new ones each year.

As a result, many families are left with functional Streifen that are no longer used. This leads to an estimated 9 tonnes of textile waste annually. The environmental impact is further compounded by the fact that many children receive an additional high-visibility vest when they start primary school.

This project aims to understand current Streifen management practices and to develop circular systems for refurbishing and reusing them. Its purpose is radical: to empower public institutions and citizens alike to build sustainability literacy and shift toward circular procurement models. Through the example of the Swiss-wide Streifen, the project aims to demonstrate that institutional circularity is not only possible but necessary.

While product redesign is not within the current project scope, future phases will explore the development of a compliant, circular Streifen, assessing materials (both new and secondary), design, and visual identity, embedding circularity and its educational storytelling into the product and its design.

Every year, around 80,000 children in Switzerland receive a high-visibility “Streifen” vest for kindergarten, a safety measure that has become a strong symbol of early childhood. These vests are typically worn only during the two kindergarten years and then discarded, creating an estimated 9 tonnes of textile waste annually. While some small municipalities collect and redistribute used vests, larger cities generally issue new ones each year, leaving families with unused but functional items.

This project aims to understand current Streifen management practices and to develop circular systems for refurbishing and reusing them. Its purpose is to empower public institutions and citizens alike to build sustainability literacy and shift toward circular procurement models. Through the example of the Swiss-wide Streifen, the project aims to demonstrate that institutional circularity is not only possible but necessary.