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Partly due to failed approaches in nuclear waste (NW) governance, years of high levels of attention have resulted in novel, more participatory avenues in Switzerland and other countries. What can be said about the case of conventional hazardous waste (CHW) from households? What technical and legal aspects are similar to or different from those of the NW domain? How does the public perceive CHW and its handling? We address these (so far) open questions in this study that comprises multiple methodological approaches. We combine a technical and system assessment with a societal (perception) assessment, based on a representative survey (N = 3082) among the German-speaking population of Switzerland. We draw some conclusions for a possible way forward in hazardous waste policy and governance. We find a remarkable disparity between technical analysis and public perception. The community should discuss whether the current NW management is forward-looking and may serve as a model for CHW. For CHW, the multiplicity of agents and the heterogeneity of substances may make the situation too complex, non-transparent, and thus less salient in the public perception. Paradoxically, the ubiquity of conventional waste, traditional community landfills, and everyday handling of some waste may make it appear less alarming than NW., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Die Experimentierkoffer SimplyNano 1 und 2 wurden von der Innovationsgesellschaft mbH entwickelt und von der SimplyScience Stiftung herausgegeben. Sie enthalten Unterrichtsunterlagen für die Erklärung und Vorstellung einfacher Phänomene der Nanotechnologie. Es stehen Schüleranleitungen, Kommentare für Lehrpersonen und Vortragsfolien zur Verfügung. Weiterführende Unterlagen und Ideen zu Nanotechnologie im Unterricht bietet die Plattform Swiss Nano-Cube.

SimplyScience is an internet platform for 8 to 18 year olds and their parents and teachers, created by the scienceindustries in 2008. scienceindustries represents the chemical, pharma and biotech industries and is active in the Swiss Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research's programme 'Promotion of Science, Mathematics and Technology', the so-called 'MINT' subjects. SimplyScience presents articles, videos and podcasts on diverse scientific subjects and has the objective of interesting children and adolescents for science and technology matters and thereby encouraging them to consider a career in one of the MINT subjects.

SimplyScience.ch, the foundation and platform for the promotion of young talent in Natural Sciences and Technology with the generous support of Roche, is moving into the second round of the National School Classes Competition 'Science on the Move'. High school classes from all over Switzerland will battle it out in the lab and on stage for a top prize of a Science Week in San Francisco, California. The program promotes and requires the skills of a full class of high school students. May the best school class with the most scientific curiosity and enthusiasm and the most creative ideas win.