Lausanne’s 4-Year Urban Cleaning Campaign Concludes Successfully

The systematic urban maintenance program in Lausanne is approaching the conclusion of a four-year intensive cycle, marking a significant milestone in the city’s logistical approach to public infrastructure management. The initiative, which utilizes a neighborhood-by-neighborhood methodology, is designed to provide deep cleaning and restorative maintenance that exceeds the scope of standard daily sanitation services.

The 2025 phase of this operation has focused on a targeted schedule of deep-cleaning activities across five specific sectors of the city. The deployment began on April 29, 2025, in the Montelly/Couchant district, followed by the Saint-Roch, rue Jean-Louis Gaillard and rue de la Tour areas on May 6, 2025. The maintenance schedule continued with the route de Cojonnex on May 14, 2025, the Chailly district on May 20, 2025, and concluded the current sequence in the La Pontaise district on May 27, 2025.

Technical Methodology and Equipment Deployment

The operational model for this campaign, described by officials as a “décrassage en profondeur” or deep cleaning, relies on specialized machinery and high-pressure systems to restore urban surfaces. Unlike routine cleaning, this process targets the thorough removal of accumulated grime and localized contaminants from public assets, including fountains, waste bins, asphalt, and various traffic signposts.

To ensure environmental compliance, the technical execution of these cleaning cycles avoids the use of chemical agents. Instead, the service utilizes high-pressure water systems to achieve the necessary level of sanitation. The scope of the mechanical cleaning is designed to address both large-scale debris and more persistent urban residues.

On va enlever tant les gros déchets, que les plus petites choses comme les chewing-gums et les autocollants

Stéphane Beaudinot, head of the Service de la propreté urbaine

The intensity of the work requires a temporary surge in human resources, with the city mobilizing 10 additional employees specifically to support these deep-cleaning operations. This mobilization ensures that the specialized machinery and high-pressure protocols can be applied thoroughly across the targeted municipal infrastructure.

Institutional Framework and Urban Management

The campaign is executed by the Service de la propreté urbaine (PUR), an organization that has been operational since January 1, 2016. The PUR manages a wide array of municipal responsibilities, ranging from the maintenance of communal infrastructure—such as roads, public squares, and the city’s lakefront—to anti-tagging operations and seasonal winter services.

The service’s scope also extends to comprehensive waste management through the Centre intercommunal de gestion des déchets. This entity oversees the collection of waste, the management of neighborhood recycling points, and the operation of both fixed and mobile recycling centers. The PUR manages waste valorization and treatment through its mandate at the TRIDEL plant.

The logistical challenges of maintaining these standards are heightened by increasing urban density. Florence Germond, the Lausanne municipal official in charge of mobility, highlighted the difficulty of maintaining high cleanliness levels in a densifying urban environment.

Aujourd’hui, avec la densification des villes, c’est difficile de toujours être au bon niveau, mais notre objectif est d’avoir la ville la plus propre possible, où il fait bon vivre

Florence Germond, Lausanun municipal official

Long-Term Operational Outlook

The current four-year effort is structured to ensure every sector of the city undergoes this intensive cleaning process. As the current cycle nears its end, the city is preparing to transition into a new phase of its maintenance strategy.

En 2026, on aura fait le tour de tous les quartiers de la ville de Lausanne et on recommencera un nouveau cycle de nettoyage

Stéphane Beaudinot, head of the Service de la propreté urbaine

By 2026, the city expects to have completed the full rotation of all neighborhoods, at which point the municipal services will initiate a new cycle of deep-cleaning operations to maintain the established urban standards.