STATEMENT
Many EU member states, including Finland, are falling behind the recycling targets for plastic packaging set by the EU. The Finnish Ministry of the Environment is currently evaluating measures to achieve these targets as quickly as possible. One proposed method to increase the recycling rate is the mechanical pre-sorting of mixed waste before it is used for energy recovery. Discussions have even included the possibility of making pre-sorting a legal requirement. However, the recycling targets for plastic packaging can be achieved by optimizing current measures, without the need for a separate system for mechanical pre-sorting of mixed waste.
In Finland, the separate collection of plastic packaging at recycling points and from properties has recently been expanded. The positive impact of these actions on the collection rate is already becoming visible in statistics, and composition studies show that the plastic packaging collected contains significantly less material not intended for the recycling system. According to the packaging producer organization Sumi, the collection volume of consumer packaging increased by over 15% in 2024, marking a significant improvement compared to previous years.
Sumi is also planning a new plastic packaging sorting facility in Finland, set to open in 2026. This facility will significantly increase the sorting rate for plastic packaging and consequently boost recycling. According to Sumi’s forecast, Finland can achieve the plastic packaging recycling target within the next few years, with only a slight delay from the target timeline. This requires an approximate 30% increase in the collection rate for both consumer and business packaging, and the sorting to be carried out at Sumi’s new facility and through chemical recycling.
Mechanical pre-sorting requires significant investments without guaranteed results
Mandating mechanical pre-sorting by law would require separate sorting facilities to be built alongside waste incineration plants. Each facility would demand investments of tens of millions of euros. Nationally, the cost would amount to hundreds of millions of euros, with these expenses being passed on to waste companies and residents through higher processing fees.
Between 2016 and 2020, Fortum Recycling & Waste implemented industrial pre-sorting of waste at its own facility in Riihimäki. The experience demonstrated that with current technology, the solution is unnecessarily expensive and inefficient in increasing recycling rates, which must remain a high priority.
Moreover, if significant investments were made to separate plastics from mixed waste, consumers would likely stop their diligent sorting at home. This would undermine the functionality of the current separate collection and recycling system. In practice, an expensive parallel infrastructure would be created alongside the existing system. Plastics separated from mixed waste are also significantly more contaminated than separately collected plastics, so the recycling rate would not improve substantially from current levels.
The most rational path to increasing the recycling rate is to enhance current measures
According to the shared view of Fortum Recycling & Waste and Sumi, the best and most cost-effective way to increase the recycling rate is to continue separate collection, develop sorting technologies, and focus on improving the efficiency of existing systems without creating overlapping infrastructures.
This approach is also supported by information that the European Commission is currently considering a more comprehensive reform of EU waste legislation in the upcoming Commission term. The direction of any potential future legislative initiatives should be carefully assessed before imposing heavy national obligations.
Further information:
Mika Surakka, Managing Director
Sumi Oy
tel. +358 400 197 848
mika.surakka@sumi.fi
Toni Ahtiainen, Executive Vice President, Sustainable Materials
Fortum Recycling & Waste – part of NG Group
tel. +358 40 577 7533
toni.ahtiainen@fortum.com