Extended Producer Responsibility

Producer responsibility applies to approximately 50,000 Finnish manufacturers, importers and packers as well as distance sellers.

 

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How to manage Extended Producer Responsibility 

The easiest way to manage Extended Producer Responsibility is to join a producer organization. 

Producer organisations are non-profit organisations set up and managed by producers. 

Producer organisations carry out the statutory obligations on behalf of the company: 

  • collection, transport, management and recycling of end-of-life products. 
  • reporting monitoring data to the supervisory authority on an annual basis 
  • ensuring that recycling targets are met.

There are two people in the drawing picture.

See the list of Producer Organisations and become a member!

  • The producer responsibility applies to all batteries and accumulators. Businesses with producer responsibility include:

    1. Importers, manufacturers and distance sellers of batteries and accumulators
    2. Importers, manufacturers and distance sellers of new and used vehicles, electrical and electronic equipment and other products containing batteries and accumulators.

     

    The producer responsibility for batteries and accumulators is based on the Waste Act (2011) and the Government Decree on Batteries and Accumulators (2014). The easiest way to manage producer responsibility is to join your sector’s producer organisation. There are various producer organisations according to battery class and type.

    Please note that producer responsibility must be handled separately for each product group. Producer responsibility for example for electrical and electronic equipment, packaging or vehicles and tyres can also concern the producer of batteries.

    Portable batteries

    Portable batteries are closed and easy to carry. They include e.g. coin-cell batteries, finger batteries (such as AA and AAA batteries), and other batteries and accumulators used by consumers or professionals in electrical and electronic equipment.

    The easiest way to manage producer responsibility is to join a producer organisation for portable batteries and accumulators. There are two of them:

     

    Vehicle batteries and accumulators

    Vehicle batteries and accumulators are used in vehicle starting, lighting and ignition systems. Hybrid cars use two types of batteries; one is typically a lead battery that is classified as a vehicle battery, and the other is a lithium-ion or nickel metal hydride battery that is classified as an industrial battery (see Industrial batteries and accumulators). For example, in the starting systems of mopeds, motorcycles, quadricycles, scooters and ride-on lawnmowers, so-called portable lithium vehicle batteries can also be used instead of lead batteries.

    The easiest way to manage producer responsibility is to join your sector’s producer organisation:

     

    There is no separate producer organisation for the lithium vehicle batteries (i.e. lithium-based starter batteries) of large vehicles such as cars. To manage their producer responsibility, businesses should submit an application directly to the producer register of the Pirkanmaa ELY Centre.

    Industrial batteries and accumulators

    Industrial batteries and accumulators are used in equipment designed for industrial or professional use and in electric vehicles. They are used, for example, in the following products: back-up or emergency power systems, hand-held payment terminals, bar code readers, video equipment for television channels and professional studios, helmet lamps for miners and professional divers, electrical doors, measuring instruments, solar panels, photovoltaic applications and other renewable energy applications. Industrial batteries and accumulators are also used in electric vehicles such as electric and hybrid cars and electric wheelchairs, bikes, kickboards, scooters and motorcycles.

    The easiest way to manage producer responsibility is to join your sector’s producer organisation for industrial batteries and accumulators:

     

    Companies which import, manufacture or distance sell large industrial batteries can join Recser Oy, which manages the statutory registration and reporting obligations on its members’ behalf. However, the producer is responsible for organising the collection and waste management procedures in accordance with the Waste Act.

    There is no separate producer organisation for the power batteries of electric motorcycles. To manage their producer responsibility, businesses should submit an application directly to the producer register of the Pirkanmaa ELY Centre. Businesses that import or manufacture batteries and accumulators intended solely for industrial and commercial use can organise their producer responsibility by submitting an application to the producer register of the Pirkanmaa ELY Centre.

  • Producer responsibility concerns passenger cars, vans and recreational vehicles. Producer responsibility applies to businesses operating in Finland that commercially import new or used cars and businesses that import cars on behalf of Finnish residents. Producer responsibility also applies to distance sellers.

    Producer responsibility for vehicles is based on the Waste Act (2011) and the Government Decrees on end-of-life vehicles and on the restriction of the use of hazardous substances in vehicles (2015). The easiest way to manage producer responsibility is to join your sector’s producer organisation:

    Please note that producer responsibility must be handled separately for each product group. Producer responsibility for example for batteries, tyres and electrical and electronic equipment can also concern the producer of vehicles.

  • Almost all products include packaging which comes under extended producer responsibility. Waste management's extended producer responsibility applies to all professionally operating companies that place packaging on the market. In addition, extended producer responsibility applies to the manufacturers and importers of the so-called service and farmer packaging.

    Extended producer responsibility for packaging applies to the following operators who professionally place packaging on the Finnish market:

    • packers, i.e. companies that pack or package their products for the Finnish market (excluding service and farmer packaging),
    • importers, i.e. companies that import packaged products to Finland,
    • distance sellers, i.e. foreign companies that sell remotely packaged products directly to Finnish users,
    • manufacturers of service or farmer packaging, i.e. companies that manufacture said packaging for the Finnish market and
    • importers of service or farmer packaging, i.e. companies that bring said packaging to the Finnish market.

     

    Such businesses carry extended producer responsibility for the following materials:

    • carton, board and paper
    • glass
    • metal
    • plastic
    • wood

     

    Packages are single-use or reusable products that are used to store or protect a substance or object, to facilitate its display or to enable its handling or transportation. In addition to sales packaging, packaging also includes group and transport packaging.

    Service packaging is packaging that is used at the point of sale to pack food and other products directly for the consumer. These include e.g. carrier bags, packaging for takeaway portions and other packaging used in service operations.

    Farmer's packages are packages that are used to package unprocessed agricultural and horticultural products that are sold off the farm.

    The extended producer responsibility for packaging materials is based on the Waste Act (2011) and the Government Decree on packaging materials and waste (2014). The easiest way to manage extended producer responsibility is to join the sector-specific producer organisation via servce company Rinki Oy.

     

    Producer organisations in the packaging sector:

     

    Extended producer responsibility for beverage packaging (see the following section) can be managed by joining the deposit and return scheme for beverage packaging. Non-deposit beverage packaging not covered by the return scheme is subject to a tax on beverage packaging, and extended producer responsibility in this area can be managed by joining the producer organisation.

    Please note that etended producer responsibility must be handled separately for each product group. Extended producer responsibility for example for vehicles, batteries, paper, tyres and electrical and electronic equipment can also concern the producer of packaging.

  • Like other packaging materials, beverage packaging is also subject to producer responsibility. If the products come under the deposit and return scheme for beverage packaging, producer responsibility does not have to be addressed separately, and the products are not subject to a tax on beverage packaging. Beverage packaging that does not come under the return scheme, and the producer’s other packaging, are subject to the normal producer responsibility.

    No tax is payable on beverage packaging if:

    • The packer or importer of the product has joined a deposit and return scheme for beverage packaging
    • The product in question has been approved for the scheme, and
    • The return scheme has been approved to the producer register maintained by the Pirkanmaa ELY Centre.

     

    The return schemes for beverage packaging are regulated by the Waste Act (2011) and the Government Decree on return schemes for certain types of beverage packaging (2013). Taxation is regulated by the Act on Excise Tax on Certain Beverage Packages (2004). The deposit of beverage packaging must be at least:

    • EUR 0.15 for metal drink cans
    • EUR 0.20 for plastic packaging with a capacity above 0.35 litres but less than 1 litre
    • EUR 0.40 for plastic packaging of 1 litre and above
    • EUR 0.10 for other beverage packages

     

    The packer or importer of beverages may join an existing deposit and return scheme or set up a new scheme and apply for its registration to the producer register. For details on which types of beverage packaging are suitable for deposit and return schemes, and on memberships, see the websites of approved schemes that are accepting new members:

  • Producer responsibility applies to professional importers of paper products and to manufacturers and importers of paper that is used in the manufacture of paper products. It applies to e.g. the following products:

    • Newspapers and magazines
    • Office paper, note pads, journals, envelopes and postcards
    • Commercial catalogues and direct mail publications

     

    Products that do not come under producer responsibility include e.g. tissue paper, books, calendars, and instructions for use or assembly which are supplied with products. Producer responsibility for paper is based on the Waste Act (2011) and the Government Decree on the separate collection and recycling of paper waste (2013). The easiest way to manage producer responsibility is to join one of the sector-specific producer organisations:

    Please note that producer responsibility must be handled separately for each product group. Producer responsibility for example for packaging can also concern the producer of paper.

  • Tyre producers include commercial tyre manufacturers, importers and retreaders. Importers of new and used vehicles and machines that are fitted with tyres are also tyre producers. Only tyres, not wheels, are covered by producer responsibility. Producer responsibility applies to the tyres of the following vehicles and machines:

    • Cars, vans and lorries
    • Mopeds, motorcycles, scooters, quad bikes and quadricycles
    • Caravans and trailers
    • Non-road mobile machinery

     

    Producer responsibility does NOT apply to the following tyres:

    • Tyres of bicycles and bicycle trailers
    • Tyres of wheelbarrows, golf carts, rollators and wheelchairs
    • Tyres of push lawnmowers
    • Aircraft tyres

     

    Producer responsibility for tyres is based on the Waste Act (2011) and the Government Decree on the separate collection and recovery of decommissioned tyres (2013). The easiest way to manage producer responsibility is to join your sector’s producer organisation:

    Please note that producer responsibility must be handled separately for each product group. Producer responsibility for example for packaging or batteries and vehicles can also concern the producer of tyres.

  • Producer responsibility applies to all electrical and electronic equipment intended for consumers or for professional use unless a separate derogation is set. The producers are:

    • Manufacturers and importers
    • Traders selling equipment under their own brands, and
    • Distance sellers.

    Because a large collection network is required (450 collection points, 1 in each local municipality, an individual producer of consumer equipment can only assume producer responsibility by joining the sector-specific producer organisation:

    If the company only places equipment intended for professional use (B-to-B) on the Finnish market, the company may, in exceptional cases, apply to the producer register, provided that it organises the collection, recycling and other waste management of the equipment and meets the collection, recycling and recovery targets. In addition, the company must draw up a self-monitoring plan, report the collection and processing data annually to the Pirkanmaa ELY Centre, and make the data publicly available.

    Distance sellers who sell electrical and electronic equipment directly to end-users (private individuals or businesses) must appoint an authorised representative in each country of destination. The authorised representative assumes producer responsibility in the country in question in accordance with the legislation of that country. Distance sellers who are based in other countries must appoint an authorised representative in Finland, and Finnish distance sellers must appoint an authorised representative in each target country.

    The producer responsibility for electrical and electronic equipment is based on the Waste Act (2011) and the Government Decree on electrical and electronic equipment waste (2014).

    Please note that producer responsibility must be handled separately for each product group. Producer responsibility for example for packaging or batteries can also concern the producer of electrical and electronic equipment.

  • The content of this page is a work in progress. 

    A producer organization for fishing gear does not exist yet. An application for a producer organisation is pending. 

    Please note that Extended Producer Responsibility must be handled separately for each product group. For example, Extended Producer Responsibility obligations must be managed separately for fishing gear and packaging.  

  • Tobacco products, wet wipes and balloons do not yet have a producer organisation.

 


Setting up a new Producer Organisation 

Extended Producer Responsibility can also be met by setting up a producer organization with other producers to carry out the statutory obligations on their behalf. You can set up a producer organisation with other producers to handle your statutory obligations. Only producers can establish a producer organisation, and all members must be producers in the sector in question. 

The producer organisation must submit an application to the producer register of the Pirkanmaa ELY Centre. The Pirkanmaa Centre oversees producer responsibility nationwide, excluding Åland. 

Deposit and return schemes for beverage packaging should apply to the producer register in the same way as producer organisations. Once the scheme has been approved, the member businesses and their product packaging will be exempted from beverage packaging tax. 

Payments

The Pirkanmaa ELY Centre approves a producer organisation in the producer register if it meets the requirements set out in the Waste Act. The approval is made by a formal decision. Both approved and rejected applications are subject to a fee based on the Act on Criteria for Charges Payable to the State and the Government Decree on chargeable services of the Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment; the Employment and Economic Development Offices, and Development and Administration Centres. Submissions which are withdrawn or otherwise expired are subject to a proportional processing fee based on the decree and the amount of work incurred. No fee is charged for recording changes reported by a registered producer organisation. 

Forms (in Finnish) 

Applications to the producer register should preferably be made by using the online form. If it is not possible, please print and complete a PDF form and send it to the registry of the Pirkanmaa Centre: kirjaamo.pirkanmaa@ely-keskus. 

In the application, provide details about the activities of the producer organisation, including waste management arrangements, the organisation’s rules and  nancial standing. The rules or other equivalent documents must describe how the obligations are shared between producers and how new producers can arrange the management of producer responsibility with the producer organisation, and state that the owner, shareholder and member of the producer organisation must be a producer in the sector in question. Furthermore, the producer organisation’s  nancial standing must enable it to meet the assumed obligations for a continuous period of at least six months. 

Vehicles 

 

Batteries and accumulators 

 

Packaging 

 

Beverage packaging 

  • PDF-form 
  • Word-form 

 

Paper and paper products 

 

 Tyres 

 

Electrical and electronic equipment 

 

In exceptional cases, you can apply directly to the producer register 

In exceptional cases, Extended Producer Responsibility can also be met by applying directly to the producer register, if joining a producer organization is distinctly unnecessary in view of the nature and scale of the company’s activities.  

ely-updated 13.09.2024