Waste Management

Household waste management

Each residential property or holiday home in Turku must have a waste container for burnable waste. The occupant of the property must contact their selected waste transport company to have their container regularly emptied. The occupant of the property must also find their preferred operator to empty their septic tank and cesspool.

Lounais-Suomen Jätehuolto Oy (Southwest Finland Waste Management Ltd, LSJH) organises the processing and use of any municipal waste created by housing and the administrative and service activities of the municipality and also provides waste-related advice. Lounais-Suomen Jätehuolto Oy is a waste management company established by municipalities and is responsible for organising the practical measures for municipal waste management and the related statutory service tasks.

For information on waste management services, reception and sorting of waste and waste-related fees, please visit the website of Lounais-Suomen Jätehuolto Oy.

Southwest Finland Waste Management Committee

The Southwest Finland Waste Management Committee acts as the waste management authority in the area. The waste management authority issues the municipality’s waste management regulations, decides on the principles of waste transport, approves the waste charge, stipulates waste fees according to the charge and processes any payment-related reminders and applications. In addition, the committee monitors that properties are connected to waste management and supervises the organisation of waste transport in its area.

Please contact the Southwest Finland Waste Management Committee when:

  • you wish to request a change to your waste fee
  • you wish to request an exception to waste management regulations
  • you wish to report a shared container, in other words, a waste container you are sharing with your neighbours
  • you wish to suspend your waste transport for more than 6 months
  • you wish to use wastewater sludge for agriculture or compost sludge at your property

For information on the committee, forms and contact details, please visit the committee’s website.

Monitoring waste management

The environmental protection unit of the City of Turku monitors compliance with the Waste Act and waste management regulations. The unit supervises waste management and littering in relation to real estate, businesses and institutions. The unit inspects businesses and receives reports from residents. The unit visits businesses and institutions to inspect the legality of their waste management and provides advice on organising waste management and promoting reuse.

Any inappropriate waste management, such as poorly handled burning of waste, a littered area or a property not connected to waste management, can be reported to the environmental protection unit.