My husband and I are expats to Switzerland. Last year we tried to get a carte de déchèterie (card to access the local recycling dump) and was told it would cost upward of 185 CHF. Some coworkers confirmed their cards in other cities also cost this amount, so we decided to hold off because it was expensive.

Today, I found out a neighbor got their card for free. I looked it up on the Prilly website and indeed it is free for households who live in the city. I've found that it is free in several other places as well.

MY QUESTIONS:

1. Did the commune try to scam us, because we are foreigners?
2. Is it common to pay for a card to the local recycling bin?

It also says that you get one automatically. No need to request one.


PS: Do you live in Prilly or Lausanne?
Edit: Should be free in Lausanne as well https://www.lausanne.ch/en/vie-prati...cheteries.html

We live in Prilly. We registered our residency with the commune and have lived here for more than a year, but we never received a card.

Wondering if they purposely target non-Swiss citizens for this, as the coworkers who told us they paid were also foreigners (Italian in her case).

To paraphrase Hanlon's Razor, "Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by incompetence/stupidity/laziness."

They might have been charged by accident, if that's the case - they could request to have the cash returned. A degistered letter from them with their account number and a copy of permit should fix it.

Card is free.

Have you called the municipality in order to request one? What did they say?

I think that the price was just mentioned and not paid so no need to get money back.

Perhaps so... But it is odd we did not receive a card in the mail like most people did, and when we asked the commune for one, they said it would cost us a specific fee.

Maybe they thought you lost the first one?

OP is talking about co-workers who did get charged.

Do you pay normal taxes, or tax at source?

If you pay tax at source, I expect that to be the problem.

And such cards are not "free", I pay CHF 185/year for my "free" card.

Tom

Ours, in another VD commune, was free. When I asked if I could have second one, as we have two cars, I was told it would cost me f180.

OTOH the only time I was asked for the card was during the 1st lockdown when a security guard was at the gate.

Our déchetterie, shared with six other communes, is a money-loser. Always in deficit. Our taxes cover the loss.

The whole card thing I've never heard of. Recycling places are just free drive in (closed at nights).
I went to the one in Seuzach for years. It was much more convenient for me and never crowded. Until one day I asked at their office, to start collecting nespresso capsules. During the chat it turned out, that only people living in Seuzach are allowed there - which I'm not. It's funded by community taxes.

Now I no longer use nespresso capsules but since I know about the rule, I no longer dare going there.
Blessed are the ignorant.

__________________
It's all a matter or perspective.
So move your butt and look at it from the other side

Yes. Obviously. There's no other explanation.

Mine cost about 80CHF (VD too). There is a fee for replacement, but don't remember the price. I am getting the card every year by mail.

This time it came very late. Most likely due to covid, commune worked irregular hours/days and probably failed to deliver to everyone in time.

Sure because everyone is out to get you - NOT.


The most likely explanation is that the card you should have automatically received, is free and additional cards cost 185 CHF.

The aluminum/aluminium capsules used by Nestlé are infinitely more recyclable than the plastic stuff used by their competitors. 100% of the metal can be recovered and reused. The coffee goes into compost. Nestlé also maintains the market by buying back the recycled stuff.

And returning the capsules couldn’t be easier. Nespresso will give you a free bag and the Post will pick it up for free from your milk box.

Each year in January my commune in VD sends the bill for garbage tax/removal plus the déchet card. Maybe you haven't paid your usually annual garbage bill? The déchet card is probably free, as it is here, but maybe its tied to the garbage billing cycle like here.

Confirming this - at least for a first (single) card which I got last November. Ordered it myself on the website. No direct/indirect bills so far.

What else is new ....

Actually I did not like the pick up service from Nespresso because no matter how airy I stored the used capsules, they were always moldy by the time I filled one of these bags.

Anyway I now buy coffee beans directly from the coffee roaster, I grind each portion fresh, then make my coffee with my very basic portafilter espresso machine. Back to the roots, almost.