Am I subject to producer responsibility?

Who does packaging producer responsibility apply to?

Almost all products today are packaged in some way. A packaging producer is any company that manufactures products and uses packaging materials to protect products intended for sale, for example during transport or distribution.

Producer responsibility for service packaging and farmer packaging has been transferred from the companies using the packaging to the manufacturers or importers of the empty packaging. For example, cafés are no longer responsible for reporting take-away coffee cups – responsibility lies with the manufacturer or importer of the cups.

Imported product packaging, as well as product and transport packaging used in distance sales to Finland, are also covered by producer responsibility.

A company is responsible for its packaging even if packaging or logistics are outsourced to another operator.

Producer responsibility only applies to packaging placed on the market. Packaging used internally within a company, such as warehouse boxes, or packaging waste generated in the packaging process, is not subject to producer responsibility.

The easiest way to manage your producer responsibility is to join a producer organisation:

Producer responsibility in international transport and Duty Free areas

According to Section 46 of the Finnish Waste Act, a producer's responsibility applies to products that are placed on the Finnish market. According to the interpretation issued by the Finnish Licensing and Supervisory Authority (LVV) on 23 June 2025, Finland's producer responsibility obligations do not apply to international maritime or air transport, as products used or sold in international transport are not considered to be placed on the Finnish market. In this context, international transport refers to maritime and air transport that leaves Finnish territorial waters or airspace during the journey.

Packaging waste generated on domestic flights falls within the scope of Finland's producer responsibility system.

Products sold in Duty Free areas located within airport terminals are considered to be placed on the Finnish market and therefore fall within the scope of Finland's producer responsibility system. This interpretation applies to airport terminals as a whole.

Producer responsibility organisations are required to accept packaging waste generated within airport and port terminal areas. This obligation does not, however, extend to waste generated on board aircraft or vessels during the journey that is subsequently delivered to a terminal or port area by the airline or shipping company.

This interpretation applies to mainland Finland and covers both catering for international maritime and air transport and the sale of products to consumers in airport and port terminals.

You might be subject to other producer responsibilities as well

The packaging producer organization handles packaging obligations. If the packaged product itself falls under producer responsibility (e.g. electrical or electronic equipment), the producer must also join the relevant organization for that product group.