Waste management
Waste Management
A study carried out in 2022 on waste management within the EPFL Innovation Park revealed that only 30% of waste is recycled.This represents considerable potential for improving sorting practices and reducing the overall amount of waste. The EPFL Innovation Park, through its sustainable development policy, is committed to recycling at least 65% of the waste generated on the EPFL Innovation Parksite by the end of 2025. To achieve this target, based on the Sustainable DevelopmentGoals (SDGs 12,13), EPFL Innovation Park is deploying various key actions and awareness-raising tools that will enable everyone on site to act more responsibly on a daily basis.
ECOPOINTS IN COMMON AREAS
After an initial test phase in Building M (St Sulpice), centralised collection and sorting points have been installed since April 15th 2024 in the common areas of buildings A,B,C,D, L,N with the aim of recovering recyclable materials and reducing the volume of incinerable waste.
Each ecopoint collect and sort many types of waste: PET, aluminium, paper, glass, cans, tinplate/steel containers, batteries, coffee/tea capsules and other (incinerable) waste.
The layout of these different ecopoints has been studied by the infrastructure department and adjustments maybe made if necessary.
EPFL INNOVATION PARK BIN BAGS
In order to harmonize Park practices with the cantonal system (taxed bin bags) and to encourage companies of the Park and their employees to improve the sorting of their waste, EPFL Innovation Park has decided to change its policy on bin bags.
Since September 1st 2024, the Park use labelled “Fondation EPFL Innovation Park” bin bags, taxed according to cantonal rates. Only bin bags labelled "Fondation EPFL Innovation Park" are accepted in the Park's containers.
Key points to share with your employees and cleaning companies:
Bin bag prices aligned with thoseof the canton:
35-liter roll (10 units): CHF 19.50
35-liter carton (20 rolls): CHF 390
110-liter roll (5 units): CHF 30
110-liter carton (20 rolls): CHF 600
No unit sales // Best deal: 1 carton = 1 additional roll for free
Buy bin bags:
Pick-up point: EPFL Innovation Park reception desk, building C, ground floor (Monday-Friday, 8:00-12:00 / 13:00-17:00)
When: From July 1, 2024
How to buy: Order by email at reception@epfl-innovationpark.ch
Payment: Twint, cash or invoice
Buildings : A B C D E F G H I J K L M N
STOP PUB
To cut on the quantity of paper advertising, STOP PUB stickers are systematically affixed to all letter boxes. The companies willing to continue receiving such advertising can get in touch with the maintenance team: maintenance@epfl-innovationpark.ch
AWARENESS TOOLS
An Eco-gestures Guide has been created to set out good practice in waste management and release a map of all collection points. This guide is available here and its template is also ready tobe used from the tenant portal for companies willing to add their logo and including it in their processes.
The EPFL Innovation Park has initiated a Waste Management Workgroup with volunteer companies.
One of the results of this group was the definition of a waste management excel tool (also available in the Template section of the Portal). This tool enables companies to map all their internal waste flows in a pragmatic way, helping them to prioritize their waste reduction actions.
Find out the ambition of the Waste Management Workgroup, the portraits and advice of entrepreneurs committed to the subject.
Here the full interviews of
- AC Immune - Jean-Fabien Monin : Measure to manage and reduce
- CFS Engineering – Jan VOS : Whatever the size of your business, every gesture counts
- La Nanosphère – Manon Bricod : Working with your supplier to recycle waste
- World Connect - Nicolas Aubert : Best practices to reduce IT waste
