Biowaste composting and composting notification

In composting, biowaste is treated in a composter on the property or in a shared composter with nearby properties. The result of composting is soil, which is used on the property as a soil improver.

Please note that composting and biowaste collection are different things.

In the case of biowaste collection, packed biowaste is placed into your own biowaste bin or to a shared bin with nearby properties. Pirkanmaan Jätehuolto empties the bin according to the agreed emptying interval. 

Read more about biowaste collection: Obligation to collect biowaste from properties with 1-4 apartments.

No, composting biowaste is voluntary.

However, in the biowaste obligation area, all residential properties (including holiday homes), must sort biowaste into a biowaste bin or a composter.

If your property (1-4 apartments) is outside the biowaste obligation area, you are not required to sort biowaste. However, you may compost biowaste voluntarily. If you choose to do so, you must also submit a composting notification to the waste management authority.

Read more about biowaste collection: Obligation to collect biowaste from properties with 1-4 apartments.

The biowaste composter must be designed for composting food waste, closed, sturdy and well ventilated. The composter must be pest-proof, meaning there should be no gaps larger than 7 mm.

The composter must be large enough for the amount of biowaste, including space for bulking material. The amount of biowaste depends on the number of residents and their consumption habits. The volume of the composter must be sufficient for the time required for composting, which often slows down in cold seasons.

During composting, it is important to ensure that the composter remains in proper condition to avoid risks such as rat problems. The composter needs regular maintenance to function properly.

We recommend confirming with the composter manufacturer or retailer whether the composter is suitable for food waste composting. They can also help you choose the right size.

You may use a self-made composter if its structure meets the requirements of the waste management regulations and the composting is carried out according to those regulations.

Turning old freezers into composters is not permitted because discarded refrigeration appliances are classified as electrical and electronic waste.

A composting notification is also required for self-made composter.

Yes you can. However, please note that biowaste fermented using Bokashi or similar methods always requires post-composting to turn into soil.

Post-treatment must be done by composting in a closed and ventilated composter. Post-composting by burying in the ground is prohibited.

A composting notification is also required when using Bokashi or other similar methods.

Yes you can, if your dry toilet is designed for composting both food waste and toilet waste.

In that case, composting must follow the requirements for toilet waste composting to prevent hygiene risks. The composting period for waste containing faecal matter is at least one year.

A composting notification is also required if biowaste is composted in a composting dry toilet.

Yes, nearby properties or apartments can share a composter. A responsible person must be appointed for the shared composter.

Each household using a shared composter must submit its own composting notification.

Inform the waste management authority within two months after you stop composting.

You can send the information by email to: [email protected] or by post to: Alueellinen Jätehuoltoviranomainen, PL 487, 33101 Tampere.

If your property is in a biowaste obligation area and you stop composting, you must join the biowaste collection. Contact Pirkanmaan Jätehuolto to arrange this.

If your property is outside the biowaste obligation area, you do not need to join the biowaste collection even if you stop composting.

The notification obligation is based on the Waste Act, which was amended in 2021. Notifications help monitor recycling and ensure that inadequate composting does not cause problems such as rats.

You do not need to submit a notification if your property has biowaste collection with its own biowaste bin or a shared bin with nearby properties. In biowaste collection, the waste truck empties the bin according to the agreed emptying interval.

A notification is not required if you compost only garden waste and/or dry toilet waste, or if you do not compost at all.

Submit the notification to the Regional waste management authority following the instructions on this website if your property is located in Hämeenkyrö, Ikaalinen, Juupajoki, Kangasala, Lempäälä, Mänttä-Vilppula, Nokia, Orivesi, Parkano, Pirkkala, Pälkäne, Ruovesi, Sastamala (former municipalities of Mouhijärvi or Suodenniemi), Tampere, Vesilahti, Virrat or Ylöjärvi.

Properties located elsewhere fall under the jurisdiction of other authorities.

If you are already composting, submit the notification immediately.

If you are not composting, do not submit a notification yet. Submit it only after you have started composting. The notification must be submitted no later than two months after composting begins.

No, you can not. A written notification must be submitted to the waste management authority. For more information, see Composting notification.

The composting notification is valid for five years. After that period it must be renewed.

If composting on the property is stopped, you must inform the waste management authority within two months. This information can be sent by e-mail to: [email protected] or by post to: Alueellinen jätehuoltoviranomainen, PL 487, 33101 Tampere.

Your notification will be saved in the waste management authority's information system. After notification has been processed, you will receive a written response.

The details of the notification are recorded in the register maintained by the waste management authority in accordance with the Waste Act (Section 143). This register covers waste transport and the handling of biowaste on the property.

The waste management or environmental protection authority may check the composter to ensure it is appropriate and functioning properly

Yes, you must submit a composting notification if you compost kitchen biowaste. This requirement is not limited to urban areas; the notification must be made even if the property is located in a sparsely populated area or on an island.

If you share a composter with your neighbour, each household using it must submit a composting notification. Please contact the person in charge of the shared composter and submit the notifications at the same time.

For a composter shared by all residents of a housing company, only one composting notification is needed for the entire housing company, typically submitted by the property manager.

A composting notification must be submitted to the waste management authority when composting biowaste. The information from these notifications is stored in a register, which is used as a basis for composter inspections.

Composter inspections are carried out by employees of the waste management authority. The right to inspect is based on the Waste Act (Section 123), which allows the authority to conduct inspections related to waste management.

Composter inspectors can be identified by their yellow high-visibility clothing and Tampere City ID card.

Inspections are primarily carried out in areas where sorting biowaste is obligated. Initially, inspections focus on properties that are permanently inhabited.

Inspection targets are selected on a risk-based and random basis. For example, self-made, small or shared composters may be selected.

The municipal environmental protection authority may also suggest inspections in areas where rat sightings have been reported.

During the inspection, composter inspectors check whether the composter complies with the waste management regulations. Guidance and advice are given if needed.

Composter inspectors do not enter buildings. The property owner does not have to be present during the inspection.

The findings of the inspection are recorded in an inspection report, which is sent to the property owner.

The inspection report, sent after the inspection, will tell if the composter does not comply with waste management regulations. The report will also set a deadline for corrective actions.

If necessary corrections are not made, the waste management authority will connect the property to the biowaste collection. In that case, Pirkanmaan Jätehuolto will bring a biowaste bin to the property and start emptying it.