1 Introduction and organic waste situation

update April 2010

In Finland there is at present there are three MSW incinerators operating and another five planned. The Finnish MSW strategy is based on the source separation of biowaste whenever suitable (environmental effect, costs) and incineration of the residual waste. The biowaste treatment is mainly based on composting. In addition there are five anaerobic digestion plants in Finland, which usually treat biowaste together with sewage sludge.
According to the Biowaste Strategy in 2016 only 35 % of the biodegradable waste, which was generated in the reference year 1994 can be brought to landfill.

Legal framework of the organic waste stream and compost production

In Finland easily degradable wastes originating from plants or animals, including for example paper, are classified as biological wastes. These wastes are generated in households, schools, restaurants, hospitals and in other similar sources or in trade and food industry. The wastes from agriculture and forestry are excluded.
Biowaste is intended to be collected and treated separately from other waste fractions. The process has already started in the 90's and it will be accelerated by the Government decisions and regulations. The Finnish landfill regulation demands, that over 50 % of the recyclable part of waste has to be separated before landfilling. The biowaste strategy from 2003 contents the same goals for recycling of biodegradable waste as the European legislation.
According to the Waste Tax Act (495/96) at the moment a tax of 30 euro/ton tax for the waste landfilled. In order to support the progress of biological treatment of separately collected biowastes and sludges from municipal waste water treatment plants, the treatment is not subjected to taxation.
In order to promote the production of energy from biodegradable waste it has been suggested to adopt a ban for the landfilling of biowaste.

Source separation situation

The efforts for and the intensity of source separation of biowaste depends much on the population density. In 108 (of total 450) municipalities waste regulations. In Finland the biowaste consists mainly of household kitchen waste, commercial biowaste and catering waste. Separate biowaste collection is obligatory for houses with more than 5-10 apartments, in some regions more than 2 apartments. Biowaste is collected typically in 240 l/plastic bins, in some cases protected inside with paper or polymer sack. In some regions deep collection system is also applied.
Brushes, leaves, garden and other park waste can be delivered directly to composting plants or major drop off sites. Home composting is encouraged for single houses and for the garden waste. Home composting for kitchen waste is allowed in closed, insulated composting equipment.
Biowaste bins are collected with a maximum one week collection cycle during the summer time. In winter time the cycle can be extended. Collection is carried out usually with a rear loading vehicle. Usually the bins are washed by a separate vehicle one to two times a year.
In 2007 has been collected 274 000 t municipal biowaste separately. This is about 25 to 35 % of the potential.

Treatment of organic waste

At present there are about 20 in-vessel composting plants operating. Still aerated open-air windrow composting is widely applied though these units will be substituted by closed composting gradually. The range of existing in-vessel treatment capacity varies from 5 000 t/a to 50 000 t/a. The most common technique is tunnel composting. Also some drum and combined drum and tunnel plants exist. There are already five anaerobic digestion plants with capacities from 4 000 to 55 000 t/a, treating both biodegradable waste and sludge.

Standards and quality assurance

Compost products sold as fertilisers for agriculture or landscaping, are under the supervision of the Finnish Plant Production Inspection Centre. According to the Finnish legislation, only officially certified products can be put to market. The certified products are controlled on a regular basis for pathogens, heavy metals and nutrients.

Application and markets

After mixing the compost with other soil components, the compost is used mostly for parks, private gardens and landscaping. The market is depending largely on the volume of building and road construction. Still a part of the compost products is used in closing structures and landscaping of the landfills.
The use of compost products for agriculture is still quite insignificant.

Expected trends and developments

The Finnish municipal waste strategy is based on the source separation of wastes. The feeding tariff for electricity from biogas will promote the interest for the separate collection and digestion of biowaste significantly. On the other hand also the operating and planned waste incinerators compete for waste. Life cycle analyses will give regional solutions if biowaste will be digested or burned.
It is anyhow expected that the volume of biological treatment of household kitchen waste will raise in the future.

Contacts and sources of country information

Christoph Gareis
PL 100
00066 HSY
Tel +358 40 829 6572
Email christoph.gareis@hsy.fi
Internet www.biolaitosyhdistys.fi