Waste Management Service
The Waste Management Service is responsible for the collection, transport and treatment of the conventional waste (all types of waste excluding radioactive waste). Its strategy is designed to ensure effective waste management that prioritises the safety of both individuals and the environment.
Did you know that conventional non-hazardous waste represents 70% of CERN’s total waste? Recycling is central to CERN’s waste reduction strategy and the Laboratory remains committed to continuously improving its recycling rate: for reference, 71% of conventional waste was recycled in 2024 compared with 56% in 2018.
As part of its activities, the Waste Management Service implements a range of actions and measures to help achieve the Organization’s 2030 objectives:
- Maintaining the recovery rate of conventional waste above 70% by weight
- Increasing the overall reuse rate by 10% by weight compared to 2022
- Reducing campus ‘household waste’ per person on site by 5% by weight compared to 2022.
Waste at CERN
A recycling solution exists for (almost) all CERN waste. Recycling preserves natural resources and generates significant energy and financial savings. However, for our waste to be recycled, it must first be correctly sorted.
To support this, CERN has implemented a comprehensive Waste Management System, providing users with a range of services, infrastructure and resources tailored to their activities. Its aim is to reduce and minimise waste production while maximising material recovery.
Anyone who produces or possesses waste is responsible for it until it is either disposed of or repurposed — even when the waste is transferred to a third party for treatment.
All waste collected on CERN sites is transported to the appropriate treatment centre. Upon arrival, the waste is weighed, its category is verified, and a receipt is issued to ensure complete traceability. More information on final recycling and repurposing.
Recuperation and Sales Service
The Recuperation and Sales Service manages the reuse and sale of CERN equipment and materials that are no longer needed. It supports sustainability by extending the life of assets and reducing waste.
Ecopoint
In 2025, the SCE Department installed 25 new outdoor ecopoints across the Meyrin and Prévessin sites. In addition to standard waste (paper, cardboard and general waste), these stations allow the recycling of glass, PET bottles, coffee capsules, aluminium cans and white paper.
🎯 Objective: make sorting easier in daily work and improve the recycling rate, with more installations planned.
📍 Find an ecopoint: use the CERN Campus App (Map → CERN services → Ecopoint).
Skips, containers and 1m³ bins
For any request, please submit a ticket via the Service Portal.
Skips: For safety reasons, skips must never be filled to more than 75% of their capacity before removal, irrespective of their size.
Waste: What can I do?
We all play a part in reducing the waste produced by the Organization, because CERN’s waste is also our waste.
To reduce waste at work and at home, remember the 5 Rs: Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Repeat !
