Achieving the recycling targets requires a comprehensive waste reception network in the municipality
The revised EU Waste Directive sets ambitious recycling targets that require the development of municipal waste management services. Through automation and self-service, municipalities can improve the efficiency of their waste management networks and provide better services to their residents.
Legislation sets both requirements and targets for waste collection and treatment at different levels. At EU level, we are committed to very challenging recycling targets. The revised Waste Directive requires 55% of municipal waste to be recycled by 2025, and the recycling rate will become even stricter in the future.
Most of the focus on increasing recycling rates has been on separate collection of bio-waste and packaging at the property level. However, legislation already sets requirements and targets for the network and operation of regional waste collection sites.
The municipality does not decide on the waste to be collected
When planning a regional waste reception network and considering the types of waste to be collected, it should be borne in mind that it is not just a matter of deciding which waste to collect. Traditionally, mixed waste, wood, metal and hazardous waste have been collected, but it is no longer sufficient to collect them alone. This is laid down in legislation in Articles 20 and 26 of the Waste Ordinance. The municipality is, of course, given the possibility to extend the separate collection requirement or, under strict legal conditions, to reduce the obligations for a maximum period of five years.
Legislation only sets a minimum standard, but even a municipal decision-maker cannot be lulled into thinking that this is enough, Attitudes and attitudes towards recycling are undergoing a major change, and citizens want better service and accessibility. They are also prepared to pay for it.
The sorting yard meets legal requirements and increases the quality of recycled material
Vestia has responded to the requirements of the legislation by developing a sorting yard that operates as a remote self-service. Automation and self-service enable increased productivity, allowing the municipality to implement a more frequent and accessible waste collection network.
For Vestia’s own sorting yards, there is already evidence that better accessibility increases the frequency of visits and improves the quality of waste collected. A clean environment, good collection equipment and clear signage also improve waste quality. In this way, a higher proportion of waste is recycled in a more responsible and environmentally sound way.
Is your municipality last minute or early?
Finland is unlikely to reach the 2025 targets, as the recycling rate of municipal waste has remained stubbornly close to 40%. This is likely to mean more stringent legislative requirements in the future, which in practice will affect both the waste management organised by municipalities and the sorting obligations of businesses.
The targets set make it necessary to tackle the issue of recycling now. It is easier to start upgrading the recycling network in advance than to wait for national legislation or EU threat requirements to become stricter. Resources for implementation may then be “at a premium” and hasty solutions are rarely good. With construction slowing down, it is the right time to launch a definition project to see how digitalisation and automation can help meet recycling targets.
