Obligation to collect biowaste from properties with 1-4 apartments

It means that biowaste must be sorted separately from other waste. Biowaste is a biodegradable and compostable food and kitchen waste.

Please note that biowaste collection and composting are two different things:

• 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 and takes care of the biowaste treatment. The end products of processing are fertilisers and biogas.
   
• Biowaste composting: biowaste is treated in the property's own composter or in a shared composter for nearby properties. The end product is soil, which is used on the property as a soil improver.

The obligation to collect biowaste has been extended due to changes in the Waste Act. As a result, biowaste collection is also required under waste management regulations.

This obligation is based on the EU recycling targets, which mandate that 65% of municipal waste must be recycled by 2035.

In April 2025, the Regional Waste Management Committee updated the waste management regulations, adding a map annex that shows the biowaste obligation area.

The boundaries of this area are based on the Government Decree on Waste and the agglomerations defined by the Finnish Environment Institute, where the obligation to collect biowaste has previously applied. New areas were included from the edges of the previous obligation area.

The Waste Management Authority reviews the boundaries of the biowaste obligation area at least every five years.

Biowaste collected from properties is processed into biogas and fertilisers at Pirkanmaan Jätehuolto biowaste facility. This process recovers the energy and nutrients contained in biowaste and supports domestic self-sufficiency in energy and fertilisers. Biogas is a renewable energy that can replace fossil fuels.

If your residential property is located in a biowaste obligation area, you must join the biowaste collection service.

However, if you compost your biowaste according to the waste management regulations and have made a composting notification to the waste management authority, you do not need to join the biowaste collection.

If your property (with 1-4 apartments) is outside the biowaste obligation area, you are not required to join the biowaste collection.

Check the map to see if your property is in the obligation area: Map of the biowaste obligation area

You don't need to buy your own biowaste bin, Pirkanmaan Jätehuolto will bring it to your property free of charge.

The cost of biowaste collection depends on the municipality where the property is located and the size of the bin. In 2025, one emptying of a biowaste bin (140 l) costs 4.35 - 6.74 € (incl. VAT), depending on the municipality. The price includes washing the bin twice a year.

You can reduce costs by sharing a biowaste bin with nearby properties. In that case, the emptying costs are shared among participants.

By sorting biowaste, you can extend the emptying interval of your mixed waste bin up to 8 weeks by contacting Pirkanmaan Jätehuolto. If even the 8-week interval is too frequent, you can apply to the waste management authority for a longer interval. Therefore, the collection of biowaste does not necessarily result in significant additional costs.

During winter (October–April), the biowaste bin must be emptied at least every four weeks, and during summer (May–September) at least every two weeks.

If your property is located in a biowaste obligation area, you must join the biowaste collection. Producing only a small amount of biowaste is not a reason for exemption. In such cases, sharing a biowaste bin with nearby properties is a great option.

You don't have to join the biowaste collection if your biowaste is composted according to waste management regulations and you have made a composting notification to the waste management authority.

You also don't need to join the biowaste collection if your property (1-4 apartments) is located outside the biowaste obligation area.

You don't have to join the biowaste collection if your biowaste is composted according to waste management regulations and you have made a composting notification to the waste management authority.

If your property is not located in a biowaste obligation area, you don't have to join the biowaste collection. However, it is recommendable to sort biowaste in all situations.

If you wish, you can compost your biowaste. In that case, remember to make a composting notification to the waste management authority. You can also contact Pirkanmaan Jätehuolto and ask the possibility of joining the biowaste collection voluntarily.

If your property is in a biowaste obligation area and you have not:

• Agreed with Pirkanmaan Jätehuolto to join the biowaste collection (either with your own biowaste bin or shared bin with nearby properties) or
• started composting biowaste and made a composting notification to the waste management authority,

you will receive a letter from the waste management authority. The letter will inform you that your property will be connected to the biowaste collection, and will tell you the size of the biowaste bin and the emptying interval. Pirkanmaan Jätehuolto will bring the biowaste bin to your property free of charge.