Why does the rubbish bag cost money in Switzerland?
Because the bag is the fee. Household rubbish goes into an official fee bag, the Gebührensack, and part of its price pays for disposal. In Zurich, a 35-litre Züri-Sack carries a city fee of CHF 1.30.
Ep. 17 · Ueli's Word · 60 seconds. Watch
The real rule
Why the Swiss laugh, and what it means if you're new here.
In many Swiss communes you pay for rubbish by the bag: the official fee bag costs more because the disposal fee is in its price, so less rubbish costs less. In Zurich that is CHF 1.30 per 35-litre bag. As a newcomer, buy your commune's official bag, check the collection days, and never leave a plain bin bag outside: fines can reach several thousand francs.
Blüemli's verdict: Ding. Really. Wrong bag, wrong place: fines of up to several thousand francs.
GEBÜHRENSACK: literally: “fee sack”; really: the official bag, fee included Ueli's Word
Be like Ueli. Right bag. Right day.
Learn more: Swiss rubbish and recycling
The rule, explained
Swiss communes charge for rubbish by the bag. You buy the official Gebührensack in shops, and the fee is inside its price. In the city of Zurich, household rubbish belongs in the Züri-Sack, and the fee share of the price goes to the city: 1.30 francs for 35 litres, excluding VAT. A black bin bag on the street is not just rude. Zurich says illegal dumpers are reported to the police and fined up to several thousand francs. Every commune has its own bag and its own collection days, so check yours.
Sources: City of Zurich, Hauskehricht and Züri-Sack; City of Zurich, Gebühren Abfall und Abwasser
Questions people ask
What happens if you use the wrong rubbish bag in Switzerland?
In Zurich, illegal disposal can be reported to the police and fined up to several thousand francs.
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