Waste management

Types of waste

Comm on waste

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

EcoPoints

	PAPER Allowed: Paper • Newspapers • Magazines • Books Not Allowed: Cardboard • Pizza boxes • Cardboard cups
	ALUMINUM CANS Allowed: Cans made from aluminum only Not allowed: Tubes • Aluminum foil and trays • Tin cans • Beverage cartons • Coffee or tea capsules
	PET BOTTLES Allowed: Beverage bottles bearing the PET logo Not allowed: Plastic packaging and cups • Yoghurt cups • Oil or vinegar bottles
	GLASS Allowed: All types of glass bottles and jars Not allowed: Drinking glasses • Ceramics • Glazing • Beakers • Mirrors • Crockery
	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 (under construction)

At EPFL Lausanne, proximal disposal centers can collect :

To localize current collection points for these waste streams, please contact your building’s caretaker (concierge)

	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
	COFFEE AND TEA CAPSULES Allowed: Aluminium coffee or tea capsules, flat or conical
	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

Flow sorting guide (PDF, 1,4 MB) EcoPoint Guide (PDF, 1,4 MB)

Specific waste

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

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.