Schroten: «500m+»: Why Don’t We Recycle Our Nuclear Waste?
The fifth issue of Nagra’s «500m+» magazine, which is published once a century, is dedicated to the topic of «trash» and poses a simple yet far-reaching question: Why do we recycle almost everything—except nuclear waste?
A warehouse full of nuclear waste produced in Switzerland—so what now? Send it into space, leave it in Würenlingen, use it as fuel in future reactors, or simply recycle it? This question opens the fifth issue of the Century Magazine 500m+ Nagra has released its new special issue, «Trash.».
The Search for the Best Way
The focus of the new issue is Michèle Roten’s report on the recycling of spent fuel assemblies. Together with a film crew, she traces the path of Swiss nuclear waste all the way to the planned deep geological repository. Her research takes her to La Hague in Normandy, where spent fuel assemblies are reprocessed, to the Paul Scherrer Institute, and to Swiss nuclear experts.
In doing so, she explores what recycling nuclear waste can achieve, where its limits lie, and why Switzerland has opted for deep geological disposal. The accompanying documentary, «Kann das weg?» (“Can We Get Rid of It?”), brings this search for answers to life.
Five Reports on What Remains
Nuclear waste is the focus of this issue of the Century Magazine 500m+ Just the starting point. «Trash» focuses on waste in a wide variety of forms. In a thought experiment, Florian Leu traces his personal waste trail and asks what a whole lifetime leaves behind in terms of waste. Sebastian Sele follows European electronic waste all the way to Accra, the capital of Ghana. Elisabeth Krainer examines the ammunition dumped in the Baltic Sea shortly after World War II. And Michèle Roten explores the fascination with trash culture—from fast food and reality TV to things that become appealing precisely because they’re considered tasteless.
Together, these stories tell of a remarkable phenomenon: trash doesn't simply disappear when we throw it away. It merely changes location, form, or owner. And sometimes it comes back decades later.
This issue was once again designed by the Zurich-based studio Hubertus Design. «Trash» is the fifth issue of the centennial magazine «500m+,» which is produced by the Zurich-based storytelling agency Schroten on behalf of Nagra. For the first three issues, the team was awarded gold and the Grand Prix at the Best of Content Marketing Award 2025, according to the press release.
The magazine and the documentary «Kann das weg?» are now available at jahrhundertmagazin.swiss available.
Responsible at Nagra: Patrick Studer (Head of Communications), Oliver Hinze (Communications Manager), Angela Paulsen (Translations). Responsible at Team Schroten: Adrian Schräder (Overall Responsibility), Roxana Hudson (Project Manager), Nicola Brusa (Copy Editing & Production), David Fehr, Elisabeth Krainer, Florian Leu, Michèle Roten, Sebastian Sele (Copy), Adrian Huwyler (digital and marketing concept), Hubertus Design (layout & art direction), Rea Gutzwiller (proofreading). Photos: Jordi Ruiz Cirera, Kaja Grope, Sebastian Sele. Film: Mattogrosso Films, Benjamin Weiss (director & DOP), Annika Fausch (Editing), Michèle Roten (Editor & Voice-over). Voice Recording & Sound Mixing: Bloop, Roland «Roller» Frei. Web: Cubera Solutions AG: Natalia Gerasimenko, Isaac Selvabala, Michael Fretz. Media: Cptr.
