Rinki in 2018: towards new recycling targets

Our annual report describes the most important events in 2018 in terms of packaging recycling, achievements, key figures as well as the 2017 packaging statistics. An overview of Rinki’s activities in 2018 is available on our website: rinkiin.fi/vuosikertomus (in Finnish).

Recycling and reuse rates of packaging remain at over 60 percent

The latest packaging statistics are for 2017, and the figures show that the recycling and reuse rates in Finland have remained at the previous year’s level. The tightening EU requirements will, however, be more challenging to meet in the future.

In 2017, the overall recycling rate for packaging waste in Finland was 65%, i.e. the same as the previous year. The reuse rate also stayed at the 2016 level, which was 61%.

Finland met all the existing material-specific EU recycling targets in 2017. With the exception of wooden packaging, all other national targets were also reached. There are few recycling options for wooden packaging in Finland as there is plenty of virgin raw material available in the country.

Recycling rate 2017 (%) Target (%)
Total Non-deposit Deposit EU-2008 National 2016 non-deposit National 2016 deposit
Glass packaging 92 96 90 60 27 90
Plastic packaging 27 18 91 22,5 16 90
Fibre packaging 116 116 60 80
Metal packaging 88 78 105 50 75 90
Wooden packaging 15 15 15 17

 

Overall packaging use amounted to 1.90 million tonnes, 1.15 million tonnes of which was reused material and 0.74 million tonnes was new packaging placed on the market. The volumes of recycled packaging materials increased, with the biggest increase being in fibre packaging. There was also an increase in the volume of reused packaging materials, which reduces the amount of packaging waste generated in Finland.  Metal, wooden and plastic packaging are the types of packaging that are especially often reused.

The EU’s circular economy package and the revised Waste Act

In summer 2018, the amendments to the waste directive and the packaging and packaging waste directive that form part of the EU’s circular economy package were approved. They tighten recycling targets and expand packaging producers’ responsibilities. A new waste act is being prepared in Finland, which will come into force in summer 2020. The law reform aims to significantly increase the volume of recycled waste.

Rinki’s owners and the producer organisations have tried to have a say in the new waste legislation in order to ensure that packaging producers will be able to continue to handle their responsibilities in an efficient manner in the future.

The collection network for packaging waste is expanded upon and improved

2018 was the Rinki eco take-back point network’s third year of operation. Rinki developed its eco take-back point network and invested in areas such as the container weighing, which provided data that helped to improve both logistics and quality.

Positive development also continued in terms of amounts of materials collected, which has increased year on year. This increase was facilitated by the placement of Rinki eco take-back points, with which consumers are very happy according to a survey commissioned by Rinki.

Want to know more? Find Rinki annual report 2018 here (in Finnish only).