Mobile recycling centre to stop at 33 locations from 2027 as the waste tram retires

From early 2027 the mobile recycling centre will stop at 33 places across the city. The waste-collection tram is being retired; electric lorries of the recycling centre take over its eleven stops.

City executive (Stadtrat) Whole city Environment & climate

Anyone who wants to get rid of bulky waste, metal or electrical appliances will, from early 2027, find a mobile recycling centre (Mobiler Recyclinghof) nearby anywhere in the city: it will then stop regularly at 33 locations. At the same time the waste-collection tram (Entsorgungstram) is being retired. According to the city, it makes its last run in Hirzenbach on Tuesday, 20 October 2026.

What changes

  • The tram’s eleven stops will be served by the recycling centre’s electric lorries, some at slightly different spots.
  • 22 further locations are added that the tram could not reach.
  • Today the recycling centre stops at 31 places. Leimbach is added by the end of the year, Alt-Wiedikon from 2027. In Wipkingen the stop moves from Waidhalde school to the more central Röschibachplatz.

Figures

Pilot started2022, 4 locations
Locations today31
Locations from 202733
Visitors per four-hour stopabout 500

According to the city, about half of the visitors (also) use the swap area or the repair advice. The tram was more than 85 years old and served the city’s waste service (Entsorgung + Recycling Zürich) for over 20 years: the cargo tram for bulky waste, cesspit waste and metal, the E-Tram for electrical appliances.

The city parliament (Gemeinderat) backed the city-wide roll-out in spring 2025 (GR no. 2024/455).

Primary sources