Waste Handling

One of the first things we need to adapt to is how garbage bags are unique here; The Swiss tax collection of household garbage has a “pay per use” tax.

In the canton of Baselstadt you must buy special taxed garbage bags for disposal of ordinary household garbage. Those bags, called Bebbi-Säcke, are blue and come in 3 different sizes (17l, 35l and 60l). They are sold in any major grocery store, but you might have to ask for them from the cashier.

In the canton of Baselland depending on which gemeinde you live in you either have you to buy the the Bebbi-Säcke (each Gemeinde has its own color) or purchase vouchers/stickers called Abfall Vignettes, from various outlets. Your local pharmacies would definitely have them. The couchers/stickers need to be clearly affixed to bags purchased specifically for the disposal of waste. The stickers are particular to each Gemeinde.

The garbage bags must only be thrown out in designated areas as specified by your Gemeinde.

Make sure you get your hand at the waste calendar for your area. The waste calendar gives you important information about collecting dates and other useful information connected to everyday waste handling.

If you are in Baselstadt, you can use this website to find your zone and the waste disposal plan. The website is written in German. Type the name of your street in the yellow box “Strasse” and the number of your house in the yellow box “Hausnummer” and you will be given the correct zone. Then check this zone's calendar, “Abfuhrplan”.

In Baselland, each Gemeinde in the canton of Baselland has its own calendar with collecting dates and additional information. Check the sustainability website by ISB and scroll down to the Waste Disposal in Greater Basel region to find a lot of useful information.

Recycling is an important part of daily life in Basel and the surrounding region. Some materials, such as paper and cardboard, are collected from households on scheduled days depending on the local municipality, while other items must be taken to designated recycling points.

Grocery stores such as Aldi, Coop, and Migros offer collection points for empty PET and other plastic bottles. Many stores also accept items like aluminum coffee capsules, batteries, and corks. Glass and aluminum packaging, including beverage cans and metal lids, should be disposed of at official recycling stations throughout the city. In Basel-Landschaft, larger recycling centers are available for a wider range of recyclable and disposal waste.

Plastic packaging waste can be recycled using special collection bags called Sammelsacks, which are available for purchase at larger recycling points. Public recycling stations for PET, aluminum, and paper are commonly found at train stations, making recycling easy even while on the move.