Over the course of the summer, the company was able to ratify a name change. Our company has been nicknamed Sumi for quite some time, but now our name is even officially Sumi Oy. The conciseness of the name reflects our operations; we are an effective and proficient producer responsibility organisation for packaging.
We have bolstered our organisation and increased our expertise regarding various packaging materials to be able to respond to all challenges brought on by the legislative changes and field-specific developments in the coming years. The most important thing to us though is to be able to serve our customer, i.e. the producers, in the best way possible.
The collection volumes of SMEs must be increased
An amendment to the Waste Act took effect on 1 July 2022, obliging all companies to sort packaging if they produce more than five kilos of plastic, paper and paperboard packaging a week or more than two kilos of metal and glass packaging a week.
Sumi has collaborated with operators, developing a service that will also enable SMEs to satisfy the sorting obligation. Unfortunately, the collection volumes of SMEs have not developed according to expectations, which is why we hope all producers will handle the requisite arrangements with their waste management companies. Still, it is not sensible to increase the recycling rate at the expense of quality, which is why packaging must be sorted according to the appropriate sorting instructions.
We strive to keep recycling fees in check
There will be plenty of changes in field in the coming years, some of which have already been incorporated into legislation while others are in the planning stages. Generally speaking, the changes will impact costs and increase recycling fees. Sumi is putting a lot of effort into enabling the fees to be minimised.
The July 2023 obligation of properties of five or more housing units to collect packaging will cause the most pressure to increase the 2024 recycling fees.
SUP fees will be held separate from recycling fees, so that it is easier for producers to see the impacts of changes. We invoice the fees as late as possible to keep from weakening the cash flow of producers.
Sumi’s values are execution, development, and integration. In line with our values, we seek to develop the entire field and implement changes. We are here for the producers, so please do not hesitate to contact us. As an integrator, we can help fulfil the producer obligation in other EU countries, which is sure to help SMEs engaged in export.
I wish everyone in the producer responsibility field a pleasant autumn season!
Mika Surakka, Sumi Oy, CEO