Applications and notifications to the waste management authority

You can apply a change to the waste charge by submitting a reminder of the waste bill within 14 days of receiving it, or requesting for a change before the bill arrives.

The annual waste charge for the users of a regional waste points can be reduced if the residential building is completely unused. In this case, the charge may be lowered to the basic charge for a holiday home. Note that low property use, economic or health reasons do not qualify for a reduction.

The waste charge may be discharged, if the residential building is unusable. In this case, you must attach to the application proof that the building is unfit for use. This proof can be an opinion from an expert (e.g. a building surveyor, the municipal building control or a housing health expert) or photographs showing clearly the building's condition.

You can make application via e-service or use the PDF form (in Finnish) provided below:

The mixed waste bin can be emptied at most every 4 weeks, if biowaste is not composted or sorted in the biowaste bin. If biowaste is composted or sorted in a biowaste bin, the mixed waste bin can be emptied at most every 8 weeks. You can agree these emptying intervals by contacting Pirkanmaan Jätehuolto.

The waste management authority may extend the emptying interval of the mixed waste bin to 10-12 weeks if following conditions are met:

• the mixed waste bin is small (140-240 l) and the filling level remains low
• the biowaste is sorted in the biowaste bin or composted (and composting notification has been made)
• other recyclable waste (small metal, paper, cardboard, glass and plastic packaging) is sorted and delivered to collection points.

The maximum emptying intervals allowed are 10 weeks in urban areas and 12 weeks in rural areas.

You can make application via e-service or use the PDF form (in Finnish) provided below:

Waste management services can be suspended for a limited period if a residential building is completely unused. The suspension applies to all types of waste for which the waste management is required by waste management regulations.

You can agree a short-term suspension (up to one year) of waste transport by contacting Pirkanmaan Jätehuolto.

A long-term suspension (more than one year) requires an exemption from the waste management regulations, when you must make an application to the waste management authority. The suspension can be granted for up to 4 years. During the suspension, the holder of the property will be charged an annual basic charge for a holiday home.

If the residential building is unusable, the waste management connection obligation and the basic charge may be removed for a limited period. In this case, you must attach to the application proof that the building is unfit for use. This proof can be an opinion from an expert (e.g. a building surveyor, the municipal building control or a housing health expert) or photographs showing clearly the building's condition.

You can make application via e-service or use the PDF form provided below:

In areas of property-specific waste transport for mixed waste, all residential properties (including holiday homes) must have their own mixed waste bin or a shared bin with nearby properties.

However, if road conditions prevent a waste collection vehicle from driving to the property, the waste management authority may grant the right to use regional waste point.

Before making an application, find out if there is any other place near your property where the waste bin could be emptied. If necessary, you can obtain guidance from Pirkanmaan Jätehuolto. Check the landowner's consent if you place the bin outside your property.

You can make application via e-service or by submitting a free-form application by email or post. The application must be accompanied by a statement from Pirkanmaan Jätehuolto on whether waste collection from your property is possible.

The waste management regulations require separate collection of biowaste, small metal, cardboard, glass and plastic packaging from all properties with at least five apartments.

The separate collection of recyclable waste may be exempted if it is not possible to place new waste bins on the property. The costs of waste management or the location of a public ecopoint near to the property are not grounds for exemption from the separate collection obligation.

In the first instance, the location of the bins and other possible waste management solutions should be discussed with the experts of Pirkanmaan Jätehuolto.

If a solution cannot be found, you can apply to the waste management authority for an exemption from the separate collection obligation for recyclable waste.

You can submit a free-form application by email or post. The application must be accompanied by an expert statement from Pirkanmaan Jätehuolto.

It is possible to compost biowaste on the property. Composting must comply with waste management regulations.

Written composting notification to the waste management authority must be made within two months after composting begins. The notification is valid for a limited period. The waste management authority must be informed if composting is stopped.

Biowaste can also be composted in a shared composter with nearby properties. Each house using the shared composter must make a separate composting notification.

For more information on composting and composting notification, see Composting of biowaste and composting notification.

You can make notification via e-service or use the PDF form (in Finnish) provided below. Instructions (PDF, in Finnish) for filling out the form are also available.

It is possible to treat septic tank and cesspool sludge from residential property's on your own.

An absolute prerequisite for self-treatment is that the sludge is properly hygienised. Under certain conditions, the treated sludge may be spread on your own field or on a field under your control. The sludge must be treated by lime stabilisation or other manner approved by the Food Authority and the environmental protection authority.

Sludge from several neighbouring properties may also be treated together. In addition to own property, the sludge processor can treat septic tank and cesspool sludge from up to five (5) nearby properties.

In certain cases, it is also possible to compost the sludge on the property. For example, some small treatment plants instructions indicate that the sludge should be composted. Small amounts of grey sewage sludge can also be composted in a composter, a wooden or metal frame or a pile.

Self-treatment of septic tank and cesspool sludge must be notified to the waste management authority before treatment begins.

For more information on self-treatment of sludge, see the page on septic tank and cesspool sludge.

You can make notification via e-service or use the PDF form (in Finnish) provided below.