Finnish waste legislation covers all waste with the exception of some special wastes such as nuclear waste. Our waste legislation follows the development of EU waste legislation but some parts of our regulations are stricter than the corresponding EU regulations.
The Waste Act requires recovery of waste
According to the Finnish Waste Act:
• it is most important to prevent the generation of waste
• waste must primarily be recovered as material
• waste must secondarily be recovered as energy
• the last option is safe disposal in a landfill.
Anyone producing waste is obliged to know about the quality, quantity and origin of the waste produced, as well as the health and environmental effects of the waste.
The objective of the Waste Act is to promote reasonable use of natural resources and prevent adverse effects on health and the environment arising from waste.
This promotes the sustainable use of natural resources and prevents environmental problems.
The Environmental Protection Act is a crucial instrument with the following objectives:
• to prevent the pollution of the environment and to repair and reduce damage caused by pollution
• to safeguard a healthy, pleasant ecologically diverse and sustainable environment
• to prevent the generation and the harmful effects of waste
• to promote sustainable use of natural resources
• to combat climate change and otherwise support sustainable development.
Local waste management regulations vary
Each municipality issues local waste management regulations, and compliance with the regulations is supervised by the local environmental authority. The regulations vary depending of the local collection system and possibilities for recovery.
It is advantageous to arrange environmental management in a way that exceeds the minimum level required by the waste management regulations.
Waste means any substance or object that the holder has discarded, intends to discard or is obliged to discard.
Hazardous waste means any waste that may cause particular hazard or harm to health or the environment because of its chemical or some other property.