Waste management

Separate waste collection: where to deposit it correctly?

We are in the process of finalizing the organization and placement of new containers for separate recycling waste collection on USI campuses. In the Attachments section here on the right, you can find the map with the location of the various containers at the West Campus of Lugano.

Separate waste collection at USI:

  • PAPER: Only clean paper and cardboard, sheets, newsprint, envelopes, books, pamphlets and uncoated magazines.
    DO NOT USE FOR: Tetra Paks, pizza boxes, used tissues, laminated papers, dirty napkins, dirty paper cups, packaging with non-removable plastic parts.
  • PET: PET bottles and small bottles only (the symbol is clearly marked on the item). Squash PET bottles to reduce their volume in the bag. From January 2024, milk bottles (if labelled on the packaging) can also be disposed of in the PET collection.
    DO NOT USE FOR: plastic in general or other PET packaging not included in the waste collection (oil, vinegar, detergent containers)
  • MSW - Municipal Solid Waste (standard type waste that cannot be recycled): Garbage from households and waste assimilated to municipal waste from industries and handicrafts.
    In general for all waste that cannot be thrown into the other containers mentioned here.
  • ALU: Clean aluminum and tin packaging, aluminum beverage caps, aluminum yogurt lids, empty cans, mayonnaise/mustard tubes, aluminum food tray, tin foil, metal lids, clean tin cans.
    DO NOT USE FOR: dirty packaging, special waste, glass, non-metallic material, not tin or not aluminum material.

GLASS: Since glass is not a type of waste usually generated within the University, we do not have specific containers in the buildings.
The container for proper disposal and separate collection of glass closest to the West Campus is located at the Lambertenghi Ecopoint near the playground on via Lambertenghi, 100m south of the main entrance to the West Campus.

 

For an increasingly efficient separate waste collection, the Azienda cantonale dei rifiuti provides several online resources (further information in the Quicklinks section).

 

PET-Recycling Environmental Certification (in Italian only): in 2023 we have done our part again! A total of 729 kg of PET beverage bottles were collected on USI's West Campus Lugano (recycling approx. 26'463 bottles), saving approx. 2'187 Kg of greenhouse gas and approx. 693 L of oil.