Finland
With a population of around 5.5 million, Finland has long been a leader in environmental policy, driven by a strong commitment to protecting its natural resources and reducing its ecological footprint. The country’s waste management system is well-developed, with a particular focus on recycling and reducing waste sent to landfills.
Packaging Waste in Finland
As a highly industrialized country with a growing population and economy, Finland faces challenges related to packaging waste, particularly from consumer goods. Packaging materials such as plastics, glass, paper, and metal contribute significantly to the waste generated each year. To address this, Finland has implemented robust waste management systems aimed at reducing packaging waste, encouraging recycling, and promoting the circular economy.
With the increasing demand for packaging due to consumption, Finland has worked to ensure that packaging materials are designed to be recyclable and that waste management systems are efficient and sustainable. The country’s recycling rate is among the highest in Europe, and Finland is committed to meeting EU targets for packaging waste recovery and recycling.
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) in Finland
Finland has implemented an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system for packaging waste, which has been in place since 2015 and continues to evolve. EPR shifts the responsibility for managing packaging waste from municipalities to the producers themselves. This means that businesses that place products in packaging on the market are obligated to ensure that the packaging is collected, recycled, or reused at the end of its life cycle.
In Finland, there are two producer organizations for non-deposit packaging, Finnish Packaging Producers Ltd and Sumi Oy. Finnish Packaging Recycling RINKI Ltd is an industry owned and non-profit service company for both producer organizations. Deposit beverage packaging has a separate system organized by a company.
Legal basis
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The EPR system in Finland was strengthened in 2015 when the Finnish government approved a decree that transferred the responsibility for organizing the take-back of consumer packaging from municipalities to producers. The decree set more stringent targets for packaging waste recovery and recycling, including specific targets for fibre, metal, glass, and plastic packaging. Producers are required to take back packaging at a significant number of take-back points across the country, including at least 1850 points for fibre, metal, and glass packaging, and 500 points for plastic packaging.
Firms that pack or import goods for the Finnish market and have a turnover of EUR 1 million or more are required to participate in the EPR system. To comply, these companies can join producer organizations like RINKI Ltd, which coordinates packaging waste collection and recycling on behalf of producers. By signing a single contract with RINKI, companies automatically become part of the network responsible for meeting recycling targets for various packaging materials, including paper, plastic, metal, glass, and wood.
The goal of the EPR system in Finland is to reduce packaging waste and increase recycling rates while promoting the reuse of packaging materials. Finland’s system is built on collaboration between producers, recycling organizations, and municipalities, all of which are working together to achieve a circular economy where packaging materials are reused, recycled, and kept in the production loop.
Consumer Packaging Take-Back Scheme
As part of the EPR framework, Finland’s take-back scheme for consumer packaging was planned to roll out in 2016. Under this scheme, RINKI Ltd organizes the collection and recycling of consumer packaging materials. The take-back network, which includes a large number of collection points across the country, aims to ensure that packaging waste is managed responsibly and efficiently. By enabling consumers to return their used packaging, Finland promotes a more sustainable approach to waste management, while also meeting the ambitious recycling targets set by both national and EU regulations.
With the EPR system in full operation, Finland continues to be a leader in sustainable packaging waste management, setting an example for other EU countries to follow.
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EU DIRECTIVES ON WASTE AND ON PACKAGING AND PACKAGING WASTE TRANSPOSED INTO FINNISH LAW
The recovery of packaging must be implemented in compliance with the targets that the EU has confirmed with Finland.
EU directives on waste and on packaging and packaging waste have been transposed into Finnish law through the Waste Act 1072/1993 and the Council of State Decision on Packaging and Packaging Waste 962/1997 and the Council of State Decrees 987/2004 and 817/2005.
Waste legislation was amended by the Waste Act amendment 452/2004 through the addition of Chapter 3a concerning producer responsibility. This amendment has formed the basis of producer responsibility for packaging as of 1.9.2004. The most important duties relating to reuse and recovery are based on the aforementioned Council of State Decision 962/1997 and Decree 817/2005.
The revised Waste Act 646/2011 came into force on 1.5.2012. The Council of State Decree on Packaging and Packaging Waste 518/2014 came into force on 3.7.2014.
Facts and figures
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| Population | 5.5 million |
| Number of Local Authorities | 320 municipalities (99% covered by PYR) |
| Percentage of Inhabitants Covered by the System | 99% |
| Number of Companies in the System | 4,800 members (over 90% of obliged industry) |
| Packaging Introduced to the Market (2022) | 719,142 tons (total amount of licensed packaging) |
| Recovered Waste | Data not provided |
| Recycling Rate | – Glass: 66% |
| – Paper: 95% | |
| – Plastics: 130% | |
| Types of Packaging | Household and commercial (including beverage containers) |
| Total Amount and Percentage of Recovery (2022) | – Glass: 476,278 tons (66% recycling rate) |
| – Paper: 24,164 tons (95% recycling rate) | |
| – Plastics: 338,412 tons (130% recycling rate) | |
| – Composites: 30,962 tons (25% recycling rate) | |
| Collection Methods | – Glass: Collected via dedicated bins or containers, processed locally |
| – Paper: Collected through recycling bins | |
| – Plastics: Collection methods vary locally, including recycling bins | |
| – Beverage Cartons: Collected through recycling bins | |
| – Metal Packaging: Collected via recycling bins |
Packaging organisation/s in Finland:
