Waste management service fees 2025

Section 1 Scope of application and criteria for the waste tariff

This waste tariff is applied to the waste management organised by the Helsinki Region Environmental Services Authority, hereinafter referred to as HSY, in the area of Espoo, Helsinki, Kauniainen, Kirkkonummi and Vantaa. This tariff is applied to waste management services for waste that falls under HSY’s organisation responsibility in accordance with Sections 32 and 32a of the Waste Act (646/2011) and waste that falls under HSY’s secondary responsibility in accordance with Section 33 of the Waste Act. In this tariff, the waste fees for waste management services that fall under HSY’s secondary responsibility are presented in connection with the waste fees for waste management services that fall under HSY’s organisation responsibility.

The waste management organised by HSY is also subject to the waste management regulations of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area and Kirkkonummi. Waste management regulations of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area and Kirkkonummi​

The property holder or other waste holder whose waste management or waste treatment service is organised by HSY is obliged to pay the waste fee pursuant to the waste tariff.

HSY imposes and charges the waste fees in accordance with this waste tariff. The waste fees pursuant to the waste tariff include all costs of organising and implementing waste management in accordance with the Waste Act, consisting of the collection, transport and treatment of waste as well as information provision, advice and administration. The waste fee is also used to cover the decommissioning and after-care of landfills as well as the long-term investments related to the construction of the infrastructure needed to fulfil the waste management obligation.

Pursuant to the Waste Act (646/2011), the waste fees shall correspond to the service level provided by HSY, provide an incentive to reduce the quantity and harmfulness of waste and, as far as possible, provide an incentive to implement waste management in accordance with the order of priority. The purpose of the waste fees is to be equal and reasonable in relation to the service level, such that HSY’s different customers, customer groups or different regions in the operating area are not unjustifiably put in different positions from each other.

Customers who have ordered collection services for glass, carton, plastic and metal packaging containers shall be retroactively reimbursed, by type of waste, for the producer responsibility compensation disbursed by packaging producers between 1 July 2023 and 31 December 2024. The reimbursement shall be paid to those who, on 30 September 2025, are customers of glass, carton, plastic or metal packaging waste collection from residential properties. The reimbursement is determined based on the number of times collection was carried out between 1 July 2023 and 31 December 2024 as well as the number and size of the waste containers. No reimbursement shall be paid to the property customers of the municipality’s administrative and service activities or to secondary waste management service customers.

Section 2 Payment of the waste fee and lodging a complaint against the waste fee

The waste invoice shall be paid no later than on the due date. If the waste fee is not paid within the specified time, interest shall be paid on the amount overdue as provided in the Interest Act (633/1982) concerning interest on late payment.

Notwithstanding any request for review, the waste fee shall be paid no later than on the due date given on the waste invoice, request for payment or on any new bill sent due to a complaint.

A fee of EUR 5 shall be charged for sending a request for payment.

The party obliged to pay the waste fee has the right to lodge a written complaint to HSY within 14 days of receiving the waste invoice. HSY shall make a decision concerning the complaint, rejecting or accepting the complaint in part or in full. If the complaint against the waste fee is lodged within the specified time and the investigation shows that the incorrect waste invoice is based on an error on HSY’s part, HSY shall send a new invoice on the changed fee to the party obliged to pay or reimburse the excess payment on the next invoice.

Waste invoices older than three years cannot be reimbursed as they have expired. HSY is under no obligation to adjust down or eliminate waste fees afterwards if the collection equipment has been emptied in accordance with the invoicing and the property holder has not provided notification of any changes to the waste management service or invoicing.

Written complaints and enquiries shall be sent to HSY at www.hsy.fi/contactus.The complaint must include the invoice number or waste service identifier/contract number.

By virtue of Section 145 of the Waste Act (646/2011), the waste fee is directly enforceable without a court decision. Following one payment reminder, the unpaid invoice shall be sent to the enforcement authorities for collection. HSY has the right to extend the emptying interval of waste containers if the party obliged to pay neglects their obligation to pay the waste fees for more than three months and has not paid the waste fees despite payment reminders.

Section 3 Tariff for services that fall under HSY’s secondary waste management responsibility

The responsibility for organising commercial waste management falls mainly on the waste holder. However, under certain conditions, HSY is responsible for the management of this waste in a secondary capacity. The secondary responsibility pursuant to Section 33 of the Waste Act (646/2011) means that HSY is obliged to provide waste management services to enterprises and other entities if the waste holder so requests due to a lack of other service provision and if the waste is suitable in nature and quantity for transport or treatment in HSY’s waste management system. Waste management services produced based on secondary responsibility are called secondary waste management services.

Pursuant to the Waste Act (646/2011), the waste holder must use the information platform for waste and side streams (so-called Materiaalitori) to establish the lack of other service provision when the value of the required secondary waste management service is at least EUR 2,000 euros (VAT 0%) per year. A company that does not have a valid secondary waste management service agreement with HSY and that anticipates that its annual need for secondary waste management services will exceed EUR 2,000 (VAT 0%) must use the Materiaalitori.fi information platform before entering into an agreement for a secondary waste management service with HSY.

The obligation to use the Materiaalitori.fi platform does not apply to companies with a valid secondary waste management service agreement with HSY, a need for waste management services due to unforeseen urgency, or companies whose annual need for a secondary waste management service is less than EUR 2,000 (VAT 0%) in value. In such cases, the waste holder may request the necessary waste management service directly from HSY.

HSY shall enter into a fixed-term agreement with the waste holder for the secondary waste management service, valid for a maximum of three years. The secondary waste management agreements comply with the specified terms of contract valid at any given time.

Sortti-asemien-ja-vaarallisen-jatteen-aseman-sopimusehdot-1.4.2021-alkaen.pdf(hsy.fi)​

Ammassuon_ekoteollisuuskeskus_asiakaskortin_sopimusehdot_01012020_alkaen.pdf(hsy.fi)

The waste management services produced on the basis of HSY’s secondary responsibility are statutory services. HSY charges the waste holder a waste fee under public law pursuant to this tariff for the secondary waste management service. Secondary waste management services comply with waste management regulations.

Section 4 Renting collection equipment from HSY

The rental fee of HSY’s collection equipment is confirmed annually in the waste tariff, or alternatively, the rental fee is included in the collection fee of the collection equipment. HSY shall deliver the rented collection equipment to the property free of charge. The rental fee includes maintenance of the collection equipment. HSY shall replace the collection equipment free of charge if the collection equipment is broken in normal use.

Section 5 Annual fee membership for waste management

The holders of holiday homes and properties occupied year-round that are not accessible by refuse truck can apply to become an annual fee member of HSY’s regional mixed waste collection point. The regional mixed waste collection points are located in Porkkala and Långvik in Kirkkonummi and at all Sortti Stations. Annual fee members of waste management pay the annual fee in line with the valid price list for waste management services. The annual fee is also used to cover the costs of waste advice, HSY’s customer service and guidance, the establishment and maintenance of regional mixed waste reception points, the reception of hazardous waste from households and administrative services.

Regional mixed waste collection points

You can apply for annual fee membership of a regional mixed waste collection point by contacting HSY’s customer service. HSY will send an order confirmation regarding the annual fee membership.

The regional mixed waste collection points are intended for the daily mixed waste generated by households. It is not allowed to dispose of hazardous waste or waste that is not suitable for mixed waste collection due to its large size, exceptional quality or large amount in the mixed waste collection points. The waste must be taken to a reception point appropriately sorted and packed.

Mixed waste collection points at Sortti Stations

Annual fee members who use the mixed waste collection point at Sortti Stations are provided with a separate Sortti card containing the annual fee membership details for transactions at Sortti Stations.

The annual fee card expires automatically when the annual fee membership ends. You can obtain the card from a Sortti Station by presenting your ID. HSY will hand over the card to the person whose information was used to establish the waste services.

The annual fee card does not work with the self-service machines at Sortti Stations. When requested, the person bringing the waste must present their ID for the purpose of checking their right to use the annual fee card.

An amount of no more than 660 litres of mixed household waste can be brought in during one visit to the Sortti Station with the annual fee card. A charge in line with the valid price list will be charged for other waste brought to the Sortti Stations, such as furniture. With regard to the Sortti card, the Sortti card terms of contract for household customers valid at any given time are followed. Microsoft Word - Sortti-asemien kotitalousasiakkaan sopimusehdot 1.4.2021 alkaen (Terms of contract for household customers at Sortti Stations as of 1 April 2021)(hsy.fi)​

If the annual fee membership is in the name of a company, the company must designate a person authorised to use the annual fee card in the application. If the company also wants to use other services at Sortti Stations, the corporate customer must conclude a separate agreement for the waste management services of HSY, Sortti Stations and the hazardous waste reception station. The agreement complies with the terms of contract valid at any given time. sortti-asemien-ja-vaarallisen-jatteen-aseman-sopimusehdot-1.4.2021-alkaen.pdf (hsy.fi)​

Section 6 Shared use of waste containers

Properties located close to each other can make an agreement with HSY on the use of a shared waste container. Properties located close to each other mean properties located in the same block or adjacent blocks in built-up areas, and neighbours or properties organised by means of a village committee, road maintenance association or other similar way in non-built-up areas.

The parties to the shared use agreement are all the properties using the shared waste container and its location. The shared use agreement must include a main contracting party who is the payer of the waste fee. The main contracting party can receive the entire invoice or invoices can be sent to each party according to the agreed percentages. The main contracting party acts as HSY’s contact person for container emptying and maintains the contact information of the waste container users, i.e. the parties to the agreement. Separate terms drawn up for this purpose are followed in the shared use of waste containers. jateastioiden-yhteiskayttoa-koskevat-ehdot.pdf (hsy.fi)​

Section 7 Additional fees

Waste fee for excess waste (additional waste)

The collection equipment shall be filled in accordance with the waste management regulations of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area and Kirkkonummi such that the waste fits in the collection equipment. If the accumulated waste does not fit in the collection equipment, it is additional waste for which HSY charges an additional fee pursuant to this waste tariff. Waste that has been placed in or in the immediate vicinity of the property’s waste collection point and that is suitable for collection from properties is considered additional waste. The maximum amount of additional waste is 1 cubic metre or 15 kg/sack. The minimum amount invoiced by HSY is a batch of 0.1 cubic metres (100 litres). The waste fees for additional waste are used to cover the costs incurred in addition to the collection fee consisting of a transport and treatment fee.

Additional fees for locations requiring special work

If access to a locked collection point has not been arranged by means of a waste management key used in waste management, or access to the collection point is limited to a certain time of day, an additional fee pursuant to this waste tariff is charged for each pickup.

An additional fee is charged for additional reporting based on the property holder’s request. If the collection equipment has to be moved manually from the property’s waste point to the refuse truck, a waste fee pursuant to this waste tariff is charged for the additional moving distance.

If the sludge truck has to move from one well to another within the property area, a waste fee pursuant to this waste tariff is charged for the additional moving distance.

A waste fee pursuant to this waste tariff is charged for extra work done in connection with sludge emptying if measures that slow down the work need to be taken during the emptying. In this case, the minimum charge is 0.5 hours. If more than 40 m of suction hose is needed, a waste fee pursuant to this tariff is charged for the part in excess.

The additional fees for locations requiring special work are used to cover the costs incurred from the extra work.

Unnecessary visit

If the property’s collection equipment or sludge tanks are empty at the time of pickup or they cannot be emptied for reasons attributable to the property, HSY charges a waste fee pursuant to this waste tariff for the unnecessary visit.

Section 8 Start, suspension and termination of waste management service

Obliged by the Waste Act, properties in residential use, holiday homes and properties that fall under the municipality’s waste management responsibility pursuant to Section 32 of the Waste Act (646/2011) must join the waste management organised by HSY.

HSY will start the property’s waste management service within 14 days of the property holder’s notification of the type and quantity of collection equipment to be used, the collection frequency for the collection equipment and other information necessary for invoicing.

If the property is unoccupied or uninhabitable, the property holder may apply for a suspension of waste management or, in the case of suspensions of more than 12 months, an exemption from the waste management regulations. The application must provide an account of the property being unfit for habitation. The application form is available on HSY’s website: Visma Sign Forms - Online form.

A suspension of more than one year can only be granted for a well-justified reason. According to Section 41 of the waste management regulations of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area and Kirkkonummi, no permanent exemption can be granted from joining organised waste management pursuant to the Waste Act.

The property holder is not obliged to pay the waste fee if the property holder presents to HSY a demolition certificate from the municipality’s building supervision department or if the purpose of use pursuant to the building permit of a building located on the property has been changed such that the building is no longer in residential or leisure-time use.

The holder of a residential property shall notify HSY of the end of the possession of the property and need for services. Termination of waste management services does not relieve the property holder of the obligation to pay the waste fees already incurred.

Section 9 Changes to the content and billing information of waste management service

The property holder shall notify HSY without delay of changes to the content and billing information of the waste management service. The content of the waste management service includes e.g. the quantity, size and ownership of collection equipment, the location and quantity of collection equipment as well as changes regarding locks and driving routes.

If invoicing has taken place incorrectly due to a reason attributable to the property holder, HSY will not amend the invoicing retroactively. The property holder’s right to lodge a complaint against the waste fee to rectify an incorrect waste invoice is stipulated in Section 2 of this waste tariff.

In the event of problems in the provision of the waste management service, the waste holder shall contact HSY’s customer service without delay so that corrective action can be taken.

Section 10 Error in waste management service

The waste holder is entitled to a price reduction if a waste container is not emptied or waste management is not otherwise organised in the manner specified in HSY’s waste management regulations or in an agreement or if some other equivalent error occurs in the waste management service causing verified damage. The waste holder shall within a reasonable time point out the error and submit a request for administrative review to HSY. A price reduction due to an error may be refunded in conjunction with the next invoicing.

Overfilled or broken collection equipment, the road leading to the property’s collection point or collection equipment being impassable or in such poor condition that it may cause damage to the vehicle, or the locks on the route leading to the collection equipment being broken or contrary to the waste management regulations of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area and Kirkkonummi are not considered errors in the waste management service. The waste container not being found on the property, for example, because it has been removed or moved from the emptying location, or due to another reason attributable to the property holder as a result of which HSY has not been able to provide the waste management service in accordance with the waste management regulations of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area and Kirkkonummi is also not considered an error in the waste management service.

If there is damage to the property of the property holder in connection with the emptying of the collection equipment, the property holder must immediately contact HSY to resolve the issue. Neither HSY nor its transport contractors shall be liable for damages caused as a result of the property holder’s actions, such as negligence or carelessness. Neither HSY nor its transport contractors shall be liable for damages for which they are not responsible under the current legislation.

Disputes concerning the waste management service shall be resolved through negotiations and a decision by an office holder. A person dissatisfied with a decision by an office holder has the right to submit a request for administrative review to HSY’s Board of Directors or to appeal to the Helsinki Administrative Court in accordance with the appeal instructions appended to the decision by an office holder.

Other waste management services

Section 11 Other waste fees of the properties

The delivery of waste containers, the emptying of septic tanks and cesspools, the transport of skips as well as the Sortti pick-up services are subject to the waste fees pursuant to this waste tariff.

Section 12 Waste fees at Sortti Stations

HSY charges fees pursuant to this waste tariff for waste delivered to the Sortti Stations.

Section 13 Waste fees for waste delivered to HSY

Fees pursuant to this waste tariff are charged for waste delivered to HSY.

Section 14 Fees for administrative work

A fee pursuant to the waste tariff is charged for sending a payment reminder.

For additional clerical or expert work, HSY charges the hourly rate pursuant to this waste tariff.

The fees for administrative work are based on the additional costs incurred by HSY.

Section 15 Amendment of the waste tariff

This waste tariff may be supplemented or amended as needed. This waste tariff assumes a waste tax of EUR 80.00 per tonne and a general value added tax rate of 25.5%. If there are changes to the said taxes or another similar tax or fee is introduced, the amended tax rate or amount of tax or the new tax or fee shall be applied, from its entry into force, to the waste fees pursuant to this waste tariff.

Section 16 Entry into force of the waste tariff

This waste tariff shall enter into force on 1 January 2025 and it shall apply from the date of entry into force, notwithstanding any request for review. This waste tariff sets aside the waste tariff that was previously in force.