The current year has started at full speed in the producer responsibility sector. Companies have experienced changes in reporting requirements, with deadlines being moved earlier. Moving forward, reported volumes and recycling fee installments will align with the same year, simplifying the reporting process for businesses. Additionally, the transition from annual billing to quarterly invoicing will help improve producers’ cash flow.
Sumi continues to develop domestic packaging recycling
Achieving the recycling rate target for plastic packaging requires action from all stakeholders across the value chain. Packaging must be designed for recyclability, consumers and businesses must sort plastic packaging and deliver it to a separate collection system, sorting facilities must be efficient, and recycled raw material must be maximally utilized in new product manufacturing.
Currently, separate collection volumes are insufficient for Finland to meet the recycling targets set by the EU. Efforts are needed in both consumer and business packaging collection, where volumes need to increase by over 30% compared to current levels.
Sumi’s goal: A unique plastic packaging sorting facility in Finland
From Sumi’s perspective, the efficiency of plastic packaging sorting facilities is crucial to achieving recycling targets. A well-functioning facility ensures that every recyclable plastic package is correctly identified and does not end up as reject material. Together with an equipment supplier, Sumi has developed a completely new technology to optimize this process. This innovation significantly reduces reject material and ensures a much higher percentage of plastic packaging is successfully recycled. Additionally, Sumi has introduced other proprietary innovations that allow previously rejected plastic packaging to be recycled.
Unfortunately, recent plant fires have affected the entire industry. Such incidents hinder new investments across the circular economy sector and have also delayed Sumi’s sorting facility investment. However, despite a slight delay, we remain confident that we can proceed with the investment promptly.
Comparing Finland’s recycling rate to other EU countries Is challenging
Finland uses a significantly higher proportion of reusable plastic packaging compared to other EU countries. Examples include meat crates, bakery trays, and dairy industry transport platforms. These reusable packages should be counted toward the recycling rate for every use cycle, rather than just the first use, as is currently done. Under the current calculation method, a single-use package is paradoxically a better option in terms of recycling rates. Adjusting the accounting method for reusable packaging could improve Finland’s recycling rate by around 10 percentage points.
Additionally, bottled water consumption is significantly higher in other European countries than in Finland, where tap water is the primary drinking source. In Finland, bottled water consumption is only 20 liters per person per year, whereas the European average is 130–140 liters, and in Italy, it reaches 249 liters per person per year. If Finland’s bottled water consumption were at the European average, this would also result in an approximately 10 percentage point increase in the recycling rate.
Sumi Oy is committed to helping Finland meet its recycling targets and developing the entire circular economy sector to become more self-sufficient and cost-effective. However, the interests of producers will always remain our top priority.
Mika Surakka, Managing Director
mika.surakka@sumi.fi