Waste management
The City of Jämsä is responsible for organising the waste management of municipal waste generated by residential activities. Waste management involves the sorting, collection, transport and treatment of waste. Some of the waste is covered by property-specific waste transport, and some of the waste must be taken to a regional collection or reception point. The municipality must also organise the reception and treatment of hazardous waste.
Waste advisory services are our statutory responsibility and we offer free waste advisory services at events organised by different groups, such as associations, schools, day-care centres, etc.
Waste management in residential properties
Under the Waste Act, all owners/holders of residential properties shall join the organised waste management.
The Waste Act contains provisions on the waste management of residential properties. The municipal waste management regulations specify the Waste Act and the Waste Decree in more detail. As their name suggests, they are mandatory regulations, not recommendations. The waste management regulations contain provisions on, for example, the sorting of waste, collection intervals for waste bins, and shared waste containers.
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The transport of mixed waste in urban areas is mainly organised by the property owner. In urban areas, single-family houses shall conclude an agreement with the contractor on the collection of mixed waste.
In sparsely populated areas, property holders may join a regional collection point or conclude an agreement with a waste transport company operating in the area for the collection of mixed waste.
Recyclable waste must also be sorted separately and taken to a recycling point/regional collection point. The obligation to sort waste applies to all residential properties in the Jämsä area.
It is possible to acquire a shared waste container for buildings located close to each other. If five or more properties share a waste container, they must also have containers for recyclable waste (glass, metal, cardboard, paper). The waste management regulations give more detailed advice on how to set up a shared container and the number of journeys.
With the new Waste Act, the transportation of seperately collected biowaste was transferred to the responsibility of the Waste Management of the City of Jämsä on June 1, 2024. The City of Jämsä does not provide or cover the cost of bags for biowaste bins. Their use is optional, but they must be acquired independently. The oblication to collect biowaste applies to all properties, including housing companies, detached houses, and holiday homes. Biowaste can be managed either with a composting unit or an emptyable biowaste bin. In both cases, it is also possible to share a collection system with neighbors.
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The property manager is usually responsible for organising the waste management of housing companies. Active residents and board members can also promote efficient and environmentally friendly waste management in the housing company.
Apartment blocks and terraced buildings shall sort and collect their waste as follows.
Housing companies with less than five apartments:
- mixed waste
- biowaste
Recyclable waste must be taken to the recycling points by the residents themselves.
Housing companies with five or more apartments:
- mixed waste
- biowaste
- glass
- metal
- cardboard
- packaging plastics
- paper
The new Waste Act entered into force in 2021. It will be put into practice gradually and be fully effective in 2024. The aim of the new Waste Act is to significantly increase the recycling of waste generated in housing and services. It includes requirements for an efficient separate collection and recycling of waste.
Under the Waste Act, municipalities tender for the transport of biowaste and packaging waste from housing companies. For mixed waste, the property manager can still conclude a contract directly with the transport company.
Targets have been set for the recycling rate of packaging waste: 65% in 2025 and 70% in 2030. In addition, material-specific targets have been set. For example, the recycling rate of plastic packaging should be 50% in 2025 and 55% in 2030.
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