Switzerland (CH)

Switzerland is a landlocked federal republic of 26 cantons at the heart of Europe, bordered by Germany, France, Italy, Austria, and Liechtenstein.

Capital: Bern

Region: Europe

Language: German

Currency: CHF (CHF)

Cost of living: Very expensive (index 122)

Emergency: 112

Recycling & Waste in Switzerland

Bin system, bottle deposits, special disposal, and common mistakes.

Switzerland recycles 52% of municipal waste — among the world's best rates. The system works through a "pay-per-bag" or "weight-based" fee (Kehrichtsackgebühr / taxe au sac / tassa sul sacco): residual rubbish must go into an official commune-branded bag (e.g., Züri-Sack CHF 1.90 for 17L / CHF 2.40 for 35L, Bern-Sack, Geneva sacs taxés). Recyclables are FREE — at collection points or via roadside collection. Illegal dumping or using the wrong bag results in fines CHF 100–400 (inspectors actually open bags to find identifying documents). Recycling culture is embedded and socially enforced — getting it wrong is both financially costly and socially conspicuous. Rules vary by commune: always read your local Kehrichtkalender / calendrier de ramassage for exact rules and dates.

The Bin System

Residual waste (landfill/incineration)

Official commune sack (varies by commune — Zurich: blue Züri-Sack; Bern: blue Bern-Sack; Basel: blue Bebbi-Sack; Geneva: commune-specific)

Kehricht / Hauskehricht / Ordures ménagères / Rifiuti urbani

Accepts

✓Non-recyclable mixed residual waste
✓Composite food packaging not collected separately
✓Old clothing too damaged for textile collection
✓Nappies / diapers
✓Cigarette butts
✓Vacuum cleaner dust bags
✓Broken ceramics and porcelain

Not accepted

✗Anything recyclable (PET, glass, aluminium, paper, cardboard, batteries) — these belong in respective streams
✗Electronics
✗Hazardous waste (paint, solvents, batteries)
✗Garden waste
✗Bulky items (mattresses, furniture — book bulky waste pickup)

Paper

White (typical commune paper-collection truck) — bundled tied with string

Altpapier / Papier / Carta

Accepts

✓Newspapers and magazines
✓Office paper, printer paper
✓Paper bags (unwaxed)
✓Books (remove plastic covers)
✓Envelopes (remove plastic windows ideally)

Not accepted

✗Cardboard — separate stream
✗Plastic-coated paper (laminated menus, photo paper)
✗Paper towels, tissues, napkins (dirty)
✗Waxed / greaseproof paper

Cardboard

Bundled flat and tied with string or in separate Karton container

Karton / Carton / Cartone

Accepts

✓Packaging cardboard (flattened)
✓Corrugated cardboard boxes
✓Shoe boxes (flattened)
✓Cereal boxes (flattened)

Not accepted

✗Plastic-coated cardboard (Tetra Pak — separate stream in some communes)
✗Heavily soiled pizza boxes
✗Paper (separate stream)

Glass (by colour)

Green bottle-bank containers in every neighbourhood — SORTED by white (clear), green, brown

Altglas / Verre / Vetro

Accepts

✓Glass bottles (wine, beer, spirits, juice)
✓Glass jars (jam, sauces) — rinsed, lids removed
✓Glass packaging

Not accepted

✗Window glass, mirrors, drinking glasses, Pyrex, ceramics — contaminate batch
✗Light bulbs (hazardous-waste collection)
✗Lids (separate metal stream or residual)

PET bottles

Specific PET collection bins at every supermarket (Migros, Coop, Denner), train station, and neighbourhood point

PET / Plastique / Plastica PET

Accepts

✓PET beverage bottles (water, soft drinks, juice) with recycling-code 01 PET
✓Empty, squashed bottles with cap on

Not accepted

✗Oil bottles, vinegar bottles (non-beverage PET) — mixed plastics stream
✗Milk bottles (PE, not PET) — some supermarkets have separate HDPE bin
✗Yoghurt pots, food trays (polystyrene) — residual waste

Aluminium / Tinplate cans

Metal-can collection bins at supermarkets + recycling yards

Aludosen + Weissblech / Canettes aluminium + Boîtes de conserve / Lattine

Accepts

✓Aluminium beverage cans
✓Food tins (steel/tinplate)
✓Aluminium foil (clean, rolled into a ball)
✓Pet food tins (rinsed)
✓Aerosol cans (empty, non-hazardous)

Not accepted

✗Tin cans still containing food (rinse first)
✗Aluminium coffee capsules — separate Nespresso/Mökka stream

Organic / biological waste

Green/brown Biotonne or kerbside green-bin (commune-specific)

Bioabfall / Grüngut / Déchets verts / Rifiuti organici

Accepts

✓Food scraps (raw + cooked, including meat in most communes)
✓Fruit and vegetable peels
✓Coffee grounds + paper filters
✓Tea bags
✓Garden waste, leaves, grass
✓Flowers

Not accepted

✗Plastic bags (even "compostable" — most composting plants reject)
✗Dog waste
✗Cat litter
✗Large bones

Batteries

Small collection box — every supermarket, Swiss Post office, DIY store has a free return point

Altbatterien / Piles / Pile

Accepts

✓Household batteries (AA, AAA, 9V, button cells)
✓Rechargeable batteries
✓Mobile-phone batteries (removed from device)

Textiles / Clothing

Texaid yellow/white containers or charity bags (Caritas, Tell-Tex) on collection days

Altkleider / Textilsammlung / Vêtements / Tessuti

Accepts

✓Clean, wearable clothing in pairs/sets
✓Shoes (pair tied together)
✓Bed linen, towels (clean, usable)
✓Handbags

Electronic waste (WEEE)

Return FREE to any retailer selling similar products (Migros, Coop, Interdiscount, Media Markt, Fust) OR to recycling yard

Elektroschrott / Déchets électroniques / Rifiuti elettronici

Accepts

✓All electrical appliances large + small
✓Batteries still in devices
✓Computers, phones, TVs, appliances, lamps

VetroSwiss / PET Recycling Schweiz — NOT a deposit system, but 100% recycling targets + vorgezogene Recyclinggebühr (advance recycling fee) — Bottle Deposit System

Switzerland does NOT have a cash-deposit return scheme. Instead, a small advance recycling fee (vorgezogene Recyclinggebühr, vRG / TARE) is added to the price of new PET bottles (CHF 0.01), glass, aluminium cans, batteries, and electronics — funding collection and recycling. Consumers return empties free at supermarkets and collection points. Retailers are legally obliged to take back packaging of the type they sell. Collection rate: PET 82%, glass 94%, aluminium 94%, batteries 71% in 2024 — among world's highest.

Deposit Amounts

No cash deposit returned. Advance recycling fee embedded in purchase price: ~CHF 0.01 per PET bottle, ~CHF 0.01 per can, varying for other products.

How to Return

Drop empties into the dedicated supermarket collection bins (Migros, Coop, Denner, Aldi, Lidl) or at public recycling stations (Wertstoffsammelstelle). No receipt, no cash — just deposit and go.

Special Disposal

Household hazardous waste (paint, solvents, chemicals, oil, fluorescent tubes, medicines)

Cantonal/communal recycling yard (Werkhof / Déchèterie / Centro di raccolta), mobile collection trucks (Sonderabfallmobil), or any pharmacy for expired medicines

Never bin or pour down drain. Most recycling yards accept household quantities free; businesses pay disposal fees.

Coffee capsules (Nespresso / Mökka)

Nespresso Boutique free return, Mökka collection bags in Coop/Migros, recyclingmobil.ch collection points

Aluminium capsules recycled separately from other aluminium because of coffee-ground content.

CDs, DVDs, cassettes

Swico-certified e-waste retailer or recycling yard

Treated as e-waste.

Construction waste (renovation rubble, bathroom tiles, old windows)

Cantonal Werkhof or licensed disposal contractor

Pay-per-tonne. Construction waste NOT to be added to residual bags.

Oil and fats (cooking oil)

Seal in plastic bottle, take to Werkhof, or use kitchen collection point if commune provides

Never pour oil down drain — blocks sewer + contaminates wastewater.

Nespresso / Espresso capsules

Free return via Nespresso Boutique, Swiss Post pickup, or supermarket bins

Aluminium capsules: Nespresso collects free; Mökka: Coop/Migros bin

Styrofoam / Expanded Polystyrene (packing material)

Recycling yard Werkhof; NOT in mixed plastic

Some supermarkets take styrofoam from white goods delivery.

Bulky furniture, mattresses, large appliances

Book a Sperrgut / encombrants appointment with the commune (CHF 20–80 pickup fee) OR take to Werkhof directly

Do not leave on street unannounced — illegal dumping fine CHF 100–400.

Christmas trees (early January)

Commune collects on designated 1–2 days in January — leave by the roadside as announced

Remove all decorations + stand first.

Bulk Waste

Sperrgut / encombrants / rifiuti ingombranti: bulky items (mattresses, furniture, large appliances) not allowed in regular rubbish. Book a pickup with your commune (CHF 20–80 per item/pickup depending on commune; some communes include one free pickup per year) OR drop off at the cantonal/communal Werkhof / Déchèterie. Bring your residence permit or commune-issued access card — many yards restrict to residents. Yard opening hours typically Tue–Sat mornings + some afternoons; closed Mondays and Sundays.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

! Putting recyclables in the official rubbish bag — wasteful (paying for what should go free)
! Using a non-official bag for residual rubbish — inspectors will leave it with sticker, fine CHF 100–400
! Putting window glass, mirrors, or Pyrex in bottle-bank — contaminates entire batch
! Paper in cardboard bin (or vice versa) — slows recycling
! Not rinsing cans and jars — attracts pests in summer + rejected for recycling
! Throwing batteries or electronics in rubbish — illegal
! Placing rubbish out early — before collection day (typically must be out only day-of or night before)
! Forgetting the Sunday quiet rule — no taking glass to container Sun or after 22:00 weekdays (noise fine)

Fines & Enforcement

Improper disposal: CHF 100–400 first offence. Illegal dumping (Sperrgut dumping): CHF 150–1,500. Using non-commune rubbish bag: CHF 100–400 + identification possible (bags opened for mail). Hazardous waste in normal rubbish: CHF 300+ with escalation for business.

Practical Tips

→ Get a kitchen caddy for PET, another for glass, another for aluminium + metal, a paper pile, and a residual bin — the 5-stream household setup
→ Keep the commune's annual Kehrichtkalender / calendrier des déchets pinned to the fridge — schedules vary (collection days, Sperrgut, Christmas trees)
→ Use the commune's recycling app (e.g., "Züri wie neu", "Basel Recycling") for pickup reminders
→ Most supermarkets (Migros, Coop, Denner) have multi-stream collection right at the store entrance — collect on your grocery run
→ For rare items (CDs, CDs, exotic batteries), recyclingmap.ch maps 13,000+ collection points across Switzerland
→ Bring-back anything you bought: retailer MUST take back similar product — leverage this
→ Composting at home (Kompost) is free + reduces residual-bag consumption