Waste management

Decheterie EPFL @Alain Herzog
Waste collection site © EPFL Alain Herzog

Types of waste

Common waste

At EPFL, EcoPoints and waste collection centers allow our community to recycle the most common waste.

EcoPoints

PAPIER

PAPER

Allowed: Paper • Newspapers • Magazines • Books
Not Allowed: Cardboard • Pizza boxes • Cardboard cups

CANETTES ALUMINIUM

ALUMINUM CANS

Allowed: Cans made from aluminum only
Not allowed: Tubes • Aluminum foil and trays • Tin cans • Beverage cartons • Coffee or tea capsules

BOUTEILLES PET

PET BOTTLES

Allowed: Beverage bottles bearing the PET logo
Not allowed: Plastic packaging and cups • Yoghurt cups • Oil or vinegar bottles

VERRE

GLASS

Allowed: All types of glass bottles and jars
Not allowed: Drinking glasses • Ceramics • Glazing • Beakers • Mirrors • Crockery

AUTRES DECHETS
 

OTHER WASTE

Allowed: Dirty packaging and cardboard • Plastic bags • Beverage cartons • Cardboard or plastic cups
Not allowed: Batteries and other special waste • Any other recyclable waste

Local waste disposal centers

At EPFL Lausanne, proximal disposal centers can collect :

ENCRES TONERS

INKS AND TONERS

Allowed: All types of ink and toner cartridges, hermetically sealed, if possible in their shipping
Not allowed: Volatile inks and toner cartridges (open containers), which  should be disposed of with incinerable waste

CAPSULES CAFE THE

COFFEE AND TEA CAPSULES

Allowed: Aluminium coffee or tea capsules, flat or conical

CARTON

CARDBOARD

Allowed: Clean and folded cardboard
Not allowed: Dirty cardboard • Pizza boxes • Paper • Cardboard cups • Paper tissues • Expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam

Main waste collection center

EPFL Lausanne’s main waste collection center handles all types of waste produced on our campuses. A sharing space is also available where you can give new life to your old belongings or find something you may need. It is located in the Esplanade parking lot (PL 0 04).

Flow sorting guide (PDF, 1,4 MB)

EcoPoint Guide (PDF, 1,4 MB)

Specific waste

DANGER

Toxic, radioactive and explosive waste must be disposed of in accordance with the procedures issued by our health, safety and prevention department

  • Steel
  • Aluminium cans
  • Aluminium sheets and trays
  • Aluminum parts
  • Light bulbs (LED, incandescent, halogen)
  • Other metals (brass, lead, tin)
  • Lead batteries and accumulators
  • Lithium-ion batteries
  • Wood
  • Electrical cables
  • Electronic cables
  • Aluminum coffee or tea capsules
  • Cardboard
  • Non-hazardous chemicals (paints, varnishes, solvents)
  • Copper
  • Electrical equipment and appliances, inverters, chokes
  • Electrical equipment (lab, kitchen, DIY) and boilers
  • Bulky items (furniture, models, etc.)
  • Inks and toners
  • EPS (sagex, styropor, expanded polystyrene)
  • Iron
  • Tinplate (cans, drums and preserves)
  • Gravel, ceramics, dishes, concrete, sediments
  • Mineral oils
  • Vegetable oils
  • Electronic and computer equipment
  • Inert materials
  • Stainless steel
  • Electric and thermal motors
  • Neon lights
  • Organic waste
  • Paper
  • Confidential papers and whole files
  • PET beverage bottles
  • Lead-free batteries and accumulators
  • Mixed plastics
  • Textiles, clothing, leather goods
  • Glass
  • Green waste (dead leaves, plants)
  • Glass and glazing (flat glass, mirrors)

Hazardous waste

You can find all the information you need about disposing of hazardous waste here.

Waste management at events

Student events

Student events often generate more waste than our campuses’ sorting facilities can accommodate. For such events, we will happily provide support and advice and cover the costs of any arrangements intended to comply with our waste strategy. This strategy focuses on minimizing waste (e.g., by using no disposable crockery) and employing existing waste streams.

We would need some time to make the necessary arrangements for your event. To help us meet your request in the best possible way, please quantify and specify the type of waste likely to be generated during your event. You should also identify the location of the sources of waste on a map, as this will allow us to make the best use of existing sorting containers.

For small events:

AGEPoly lends waste collection points free of charge to all student associations recognized by EPFL. All material loans are made through the AGEPoly intranet Truffe2, in the logistics tab.

Special events

Events are considered “special” if they require a lot of waste disposal work, such as a retirement, a lab closure, or the end of a construction project. Before asking for our help with waste sorting and disposal, please specify the type and volume of the waste you expect will be generated at your event. We can also discuss funding. If you have a mission statement and/or budget information, please submit these with your request.  You can then send your request to the person in charge of the facility in question or to the campus caretaker.

Checklist for a sustainable EPFL event

If you’re holding an event on an EPFL campus, there are ways you can do so sustainably. The checklist for a sustainable EPFL event describes steps you can take to minimize waste.

Contact

If you require any further information, or if you have a specific question or an exceptional request, such as for a lab closure, please contact:

Mr. Stephen Poplineau
[email protected]
+41 (0)21 69 3 20 79