Radioactive waste materials are generated from medicine, industry, research and power generation.

We consume raw materials and energy on a daily basis. This produces gaseous, liquid and solid wastes. Some of this waste can be recycled and the remainder has to be disposed of safely. Respect for the environment, mankind and biota demands that we find and implement waste management solutions. Radioactive wastes have to be isolated from the human environment for the duration of their toxicity and managed safely. Carefully implemented procedures and proper practices can ensure that no adverse effects will result.

Waste generation in SwitzerlandDifferent types of radioactive waste and their sources in Switzerland

Based on current understanding, many countries, including Switzerland, have concluded that deep geological disposal is the only method for managing radioactive waste that meets the strict requirements relating to long-term safety. Concepts in which safety relies on continuous monitoring by human institutions are not capable of fulfilling these requirements, for long times.

Underground laboratories (URLs), such as Grimsel,  serve an important role in the overall investigation into the long-term disposal of radioactive waste. Together with site-specific tests, laboratory studies and studies of natural analogues, they can assist in developing rigorous databases for the assessment of long-term safety and engineering feasibility of proposed disposal concepts.

The Swiss Federal Council and Parliament have decided that all waste arising in Switzerland will undergo deep geological disposal.