- Mid-sized Liebherr wheel loaders used in the sustainable processing of green waste to create high-quality compost, substrates and potting soil
- Terre Suisse’s newest wheel loader is an 8th generation L 538 with Solidlink and high dump bucket
- Solidlink enables quick and efficient changing of the working attachment
Every year, the Verein für Abfallentsorgung (Association for Waste Disposal, or VfA for short) processes around 50,000 m³ of green waste in the Swiss canton of St. Gallen. A decomposition process lasting several months results in the finest fresh compost, which is refined by the company Terre Suisse, as one of several customers, in further processing steps to form high-quality substrates and potting soil. Both the latest generation and older models of mid-sized Liebherr wheel loaders play an important role in this production process, especially when it comes to loading and heaping soil. They offer an impressive level of power and comfort.
St. Gallen (Switzerland), June 2025 – In the Swiss canton of St. Gallen, the Verein für Abfallentsorgung (VfA for short) and Terre Suisse process green waste from the surrounding region to create high-quality fresh compost and potting soil. In the municipality of Buchs, the VfA shreds and mixes organic waste and places it on compost heaps. After about two months, the decomposition results in the finest fresh compost, which is used as a fertiliser by agricultural establishments. Some of the compost is further processed by the soil specialist Terre Suisse, which refines it using additives such as wood fibres, bark humus and sand to create high-quality substrates and potting soil.
Terre Suisse has been relying on Liebherr’s wheel loaders since as early as 2003. That is why they use new and older models of the mid-sized Liebherr wheel loaders in the processing, including an L 538 from the latest, 8th generation. It heaps a variety of material, mixes and loads it into screening plants and onto lorries. During the processing, the new L 538 impresses with its smooth running performance, which increases operator comfort. The powerful hydrostatic travel drive is also characterised by a higher maximum torque at a lower nominal speed. Its high power delivery is especially evident when heaping soil, which is important for an efficient work process.
Powerful lifting gear and fast changing of working attachments thanks to Solidlink
The latest, 8th generation of medium-sized wheel loaders L 526, L 538 and L 546 impresses with particularly robust, powerful lifting gear with z-bar kinematics. As a result, Terre Suisse achieves fast cycle times and dynamic work movements when handling soil and compost, including with the high dump buckets, which the company mainly uses when loading lorries and screening plants.
So as not to contaminate the various products, the L 538 changes attachment when handling the different materials. For this, Terre Suisse uses the fully automatic Solidlink quick coupler, which is optionally available for mid-sized Liebherr wheel loaders. This allows operators to quickly and efficiently change between mechanical and hydraulic attachments from the cab safely and conveniently at the touch of a button. This saves time and also reduces the risk of accidents.
About the VfA
The VfA, based in Buchs (canton of St. Gallen), is dedicated to the environmentally harmless treatment and sensible utilisation of waste as part of waste management. The focus is on household waste, bulky goods, municipal and industrial waste, composting green waste and sorting and recycling waste. As a reliable and economically sound employer, the VfA currently employs around 100 people in various roles and trains prospective specialists.
About Terre Suisse
Terre Suisse is a Swiss family-run company with its head office and production site in Altstätten, in the Rhine Valley district of the canton of St. Gallen. The company is one of the leading manufacturers of quality composts and has more than 20 employees. Its products are made in Switzerland from predominantly regional raw materials. As a compost specialist, Terre Suisse AG supplies to horticultural companies and private customers throughout Switzerland, and also in Austria and Germany.
About Liebherr-Werk Bischofshofen GmbH
Liebherr-Werk Bischofshofen GmbH develops, produces and sells wheel loaders from the Liebherr Group. The plant in Salzburger Land (Austria) has grown steadily over the decades thanks to sustainable innovations, creative solutions and high quality standards. The wheel loader range is constantly being expanded and includes models in different product groups: Compact loaders, stereoloaders, and mid-sized and large wheel loaders with impressive, innovative drive designs.
About Liebherr-Baumaschinen AG
Liebherr-Baumaschinen AG in Reiden with its sales and service branch in Daillens is responsible for the sales and service of the Group’s construction machinery in Switzerland. Its product portfolio includes earthmoving and material handling machines, special civil engineering machines, tower cranes, concrete technology as well as mobile and crawler cranes. The Reiden service centre prepares new and rental machines, reconditions used equipment for resale and carries out overhauls and repairs on customer equipment.
About the Liebherr Group
The Liebherr Group is a family-run technology company with a highly diversified product range. The company is one of the largest construction equipment manufacturers in the world. It also provides high-quality, user-oriented products and services in a wide range of other areas. The Liebherr Group includes over 150 companies across all continents. In 2024, it employed more than 50,000 staff and achieved combined revenues of over 14 billion euros. Liebherr was founded by Hans Liebherr in 1949 in the southern German town of Kirchdorf an der Iller. Since then, the employees have been pursuing the goal of achieving continuous technological innovation, and bringing industry-leading solutions to its customers.
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