HOUSEHOLD WASTE SORTING GUIDE
Household waste sorting guide (pdf)
Recycling is good for the environment
Thank you for sorting your waste! The possibilities for reusing waste that has been sorted properly are many – let’s not throw them away!
When it comes to waste sorting, you can start small. The more sorting you do, the better it is for the environment. The sorted waste can be used in many ways, which also reduces the impact on the environment.
Let’s do good together. Let’s look after the environment together.
BIOWASTE
in the collection container or composter
• Fruit and vegetable peels
• Cooled down grease
• Coffee grounds, tea bags, filter papers
• Fish bones, small bones
• Plant parts, flower soil
• Ham grease, cooking oil
• Food scraps
How to recycle?
• Dispose of any liquids absorbed in kitchen paper, for example.
• Collect liquid biowaste, such as cooking oil, in a milk carton and place it in the biowaste container.
• Pack biowaste in a paper or biodegradable bag (Compost HOME -certified) or in newspaper before placing it in the collection container.
What’s the outcome?
Biogas and fertiliser.
CARTON PACKAGES
in the property’s collection container or to an eco take-back point
• Corrugated cardboard boxes
• Ready meal packaging, take-away containers
• Beverage multipacks, such as 6-packs and fully enclosed cartons
• Carton containers, such as milk and juice cartons (including aluminium-lined)
• Dry food packaging, such as cereal and biscuit packages, flour bags and bread bags with windows
• Wrapping papers, such as copying paper wrappers
• Paper bags and carriers
• Pizza boxes, egg cartons
• Toilet and kitchen paper cores
How to recycle?
• Make sure that the packages are empty, dry, flattened and packed inside each other before taking them to be recycled.
• If necessary, rinse the packages with cold water and let them dry.
• Sort any plastic caps into plastic packaging collection and dirty packages into mixed waste.
What’s the outcome?
Envelopes, carton packages, corrugated cardboard and various carton cores.
PLASTIC PACKAGES
in the property’s collection container or to an eco take-back point
• Food packaging, such as yoghurt containers, butter tubs and packages for cold cuts, cheese and convenience food
• EPS (expanded polystyrene) packaging
• Carriers, bags, wrappings
• Toy, tool, garden and fishing equipment packaging
• Detergent, shampoo and soap packages
• Bottles, canisters, cans, tubes
How to recycle?
• Empty and dry packaging only.
• If necessary, wipe the packages clean or rinse them with cold water and let them dry.
• Detach any caps, lids and pump parts and place them separately in the collection container.
• Sort dirty packages and other plastic into mixed waste.
What’s the outcome?
Flowerpots, dish and toilet brushes, plastic bags and refuse sacks.
METAL
in the property’s collection container or to an eco take-back point
• Aluminium foil, tins and lids
• Lids, caps, closures
• Non-deposit beverage cans
• Small metal items, such as pots, frying pans, cutlery, scissors and hand tools
• Food cans
• Casings of tea lights and outdoor candles
• Empty aerosol cans
How to recycle?
• Empty and dry packaging only.
• Deliver packaging containing residues of dangerous substances or pressure (e.g. paints, chemicals, oils, hairspray) to a hazardous waste reception point.
• Deliver large metal items to a sorting station.
What’s the outcome?
New metal packages, bicycle frames, shovels and car parts.
GLASS PACKAGES
in the property’s collection container or to an eco take-back point
• Glass jars
• Non-deposit glass bottles
How to recycle?
• Remove any caps and lids. Bottle collars and labels do not need to be removed.
• If necessary, wipe the packages clean or rinse them with cold water.
• Return deposit glass bottles via a reverse vending machine located in shops.
• Sort individual pieces of other glass into mixed waste deliver larger amounts to a sorting station.
What’s the outcome?
New glass jars and bottles as well as some building products, such as foam glass.
PAPER
in the property’s collection container or to an eco take-back point
• Envelopes (including ones with windows)
• Copy paper, printouts, notepad paper
• Advertisements, brochures, product catalogues
• Newspapers and magazines
How to recycle?
• Clean and dry material only.
Staples and paperclips do not need to be removed.
What’s the outcome?
Newsprint, toilet paper and hand paper towel.
MIXED WASTE
in the property’s collection container
• Underwear, socks, shoes, belts, bags
• CDs, DVDs and LPs, floppy disks, cassettes
• Smelly and dirty textiles
• Incandescent and halogen light bulbs, fuses
• Hygiene products, such as disposable nappies, menstrual products and cotton swabs
• Hand paper towels
• Gift wrapping paper, postcards
• Glassware
• Pet bedding
• Dirty cardboard, carton, paper and plastic packages
• Plastic items, such as toys, toothbrushes, freezer containers
• Leather, faux leather, rubber
• Mirrors, pieces of broken window glass, porcelain, ceramics
• Small wooden items
• Chewing gum
• Vacuum cleaner dust bags, cleaning waste
• Ash, cigarette butts
• Pillows, pet beds
How to recycle?
• Individual pieces of non-combustible materials, such as glass and ceramics, can be sorted into mixed waste; deliver larger amounts to a sorting station.
What’s the outcome?
Used to generate energy at the waste-to-energy plant.
END-OF-LIFE TEXTILES
REUSABLE TEXTILES
• clean and dry clothing, footwear and household textiles in good enough condition to be sold
TEXTILES SUITABLE FOR RECYCLED FIBRE PRODUCTION
• clothing and household textiles that are in poor condition/broken, but clean and dry
Sort into mixed waste: underwear, socks and tights as well as smelly textiles.
How to recycle?
Deliver reusable textiles and textiles suitable for recycled fibre production to the collection point in the same plastic bag. See the collection points for end-of-life textiles at ekokymppi.fi/palvelut
Clothing, shoes and household textiles that are in good enough condition to be sold can also be delivered to a UFF collection bin. They can be found at Rinki eco take-back points.
What’s the outcome?
Textiles in good condition will be sorted for sale and textiles suitable for recycled fibre production will be processed into recycled fibre. The recycled fibre is used to manufacture yarn, insulation, acoustic panels, filter cloth and composites.
HAZARDOUS WASTE
to a sorting station or hazardous waste collection free of charge for households
• Lead-acid batteries for vehicles and machinery
• Energy-saving light bulbs, fluorescent lights
• Perfume, aftershave, nail varnish, nail varnish remover
• Coolant and brake fluid
• Gas cylinders and cartridges
• Plant protectants and pesticides and their packaging
• Uncured paint, glue and varnish waste and their aerosol cans
• Impregnated wood
• Used oil, oily waste (e.g. cotton waste), oil filters
• Unusable fire extinguishers with powder inside
• Solvents, such as turpentine, acetone, petrol and solvent-based detergents
• Wash water of painting tools
• Pressurised packages, such as hairspray cans (that slosh or hiss)
• Wood preservatives and impregnants
• Cleaning and disinfecting agents with warning labels
• Batteries for electric bikes and scooters
Identify, sort and deliver to collection!
ELECTRIC AND ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
to a sorting station or another official reception point free of charge for households
• Home electronics, such as televisions, computers, musical instruments and phones
• Household appliances, such as refrigerators, stoves and washing machines
• Electric wires and cables for devices, extension cords
• Clocks, meters and toys that run on batteries
• Small appliances, such as coffee makers, electric toothbrushes, blenders and toasters
• Electric tools
• Control and monitoring equipment, control devices of heating systems
• Lamps, string lights
BATTERIES AND SMALL ACCUMULATORS
to a shop free of charge for households
• Alkaline, lithium and button batteries
• Batteries for mobile phones, laptops, cameras and rechargeable tools
• Rechargeable batteries
• Small accumulators for UPS and alarm systems and solar cells
How to recycle?
• Deliver to shops free of charge for households.
• Cover the terminals of batteries and accumulators with tape.
• Place leaking batteries in a bag.
MEDICAL WASTE
to a pharmacy free of charge for households
• Mercury thermometers packaged
• Medicines containing iodine and bromine as well as cytostatic agents in their own packaging
• Liquid medicines, creams and sprays in their own packaging
• Needles and pointed objects packaged in a sealed plastic or glass bottle
• Tablets in their own strips or loose in a transparent bag
THE NEAREST ECO TAKE-BACK POINTS CAN BE FOUND AT
Kainuun jätehuollon kuntayhtymä Ekokymppi
Viestitie 2
87700 Kajaani
08 636611
info@ekokymppi.fi