Waste Management
The goal of the City of Lugano is to reduce the amount of waste produced and to encourage and increase recycling, thus reducing collection and disposal costs.
The Regolamento sulla gestione dei rifiuti (Waste Management Regulation) provides for a mixed fee composed of a base fee and a variable cost fee proportional to the quantity of waste produced by each household, which in Lugano is charged as a pay-per-bag tax (tassa sul sacco). Two municipal ordinances implement the Regulation: the Ordinanza sulla tassa sul sacco (Ordinance on the Pay-Per-Bag Tax) and the Ordinanza sulla gestione dei rifiuti (Ordinance on Waste Management).
Pay-per-bag tax
The Ordinanza sulla tassa sul sacco (Ordinance on the Pay-per-bag Tax) defines, based on the range specified annually by the State Council of Canton Ticino, the cost of waste bags in Lugano:
17 liters: CHF 0.40
35 liters: CHF 0.85
60 liters: CHF 1.45
110 liters: CHF 2.65
200 liters: CHF 4.85
The fee is paid when the sacks are purchased; the selling price includes the user fee, production costs, distribution costs, and VAT. The official sack of the City of Lugano is red with white lettering. From year to year, the costs of the sacks may be adjusted depending on any adjustment of the price range by the Canton of Ticino.
A list of stores authorized to sell the official bags of the City of Lugano can be found below.
The City of Lugano has introduced support measures for two categories of citizens who can apply to receive official waste bags free of charge. These are:
- Residents with children or foster children up to 3 years old: eligible for up to 20 official 35-liter bags per year (or an equivalent volume with other bag types)
- Residents with incontinence problems certified by a medical certificate (dated no more than three months prior to the request), who use diapers: eligible for up to 20 official 35-liter bags per year (or equivalent volume)
Base Fee, Bulky Waste, and Events
The ordinanza municipale sulla gestione dei rifiuti (Municipal Ordinance on Waste Management) regulates the collection, disposal, fees, and access to collection infrastructures for urban, household waste (or municipal solid waste - MSW), large household waste, separately collected waste, and yard waste. Recyclable waste or waste designated for separate collection must be collected separately or delivered to designated recycling collection points.
For households and secondary residences
Primary residence, single person: CHF 50.-
Primary residence, two or more people: CHF 100.-
Secondary residence (used by non-residents), one bed: CHF 50.-
Secondary residence (used by non-residents), two or more beds: CHF 100.-
For business activities
Individuals or legal entities with accessory economic activities at household premises, per individual or entity: CHF 50.-
Campsites, per tent or camper spot: CHF 15.-
Public establishments, per seat, and hotels, per bed: CHF 12.-
Hospitals, institutions, per bed: CHF 20.-
Economic activities with no work units and holding companies: CHF 100.-
Commercial and professional offices, banks, stores, artisans, garages, car repair shops, gas stations, pharmacies, warehouses, depots, industries, factories, department stores, shopping centers, and other economic activities with up to 10 work units: CHF 200.-
Commercial and professional offices, banks, stores, artisans, garages, car repair shops, gas stations, pharmacies, warehouses, depots, industries, factories, department stores, shopping centers, and other economic activities with 11 to 99 work units: CHF 400.-
Commercial and professional offices, banks, stores, artisans, garages, car repair shops, gas stations, pharmacies, warehouses, depots, industries, factories, department stores, shopping centers, and other economic activities with 100 work units or more: CHF 800.-
In cases of proven difficulty preventing the citizen from transporting and delivering bulky non-recyclable waste to Ecocentri (Recycling Centers), an annual pickup for bulky waste can be requested. Requests must be submitted in writing to the Divisione spazi urbani.
For events held on public grounds, organizers are required to use official bags for municipal solid waste (MSW) of 200 liters. Since 2020, as part of measures to support environmental sustainability, the City of Lugano has required the exclusive use of reusable cups and/or tableware for events expecting at least 200 attendees. If this is not possible for organizational or financial reasons, compostable disposable cups and/or tableware are allowed. Composting or proper waste disposal costs are the responsibility of the organizers. The City reserves the right to grant logistical support.
The English version of this page was created with the aid of automatic translation tools and may contain errors and omissions.
The original version is the page in Italian.