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.
The designations of waste, sorting instructions and collection systems at your permanent home may differ from those at your summer cottage. According to the Waste Act, municipalities are entitled to levy a waste fee on the owners of recreational properties. The amount of the fee varies by municipality. Some municipalities levy a so-called eco fee. More information about the practices at the locality of your cottage is available from L&T or the municipality’s environmental officer.
A cottage owner must join the waste transport system of the local municipality
Transport of waste from your cottage to a waste container at your permanent residence has been disallowed as of the beginning of 2006. The possessor of a cottage must join the waste transport system organised in the local municipality. In practice, waste must be taken to a regional collection point or you must acquire a waste container of your own or one shared with neighbours.
The Waste Act requires that waste be recovered also at the cottage
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.
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.
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.