NATIONAL STATISTICS ON QUANTITIES OF PACKAGING USED IN 2009
The national statistics on the quantities of packaging used in 2009 were submitted to the EU in June 2011. Reporting is based on commission decision 2005/270/EC. The data has been collected using the same methodology since 1997.
Statistics on Packaging and Packaging Waste in Finland 2009
Statistics on packaging and packaging waste recovery and recycling in Finland for 2009 was collected according to the EU Commission Decision 2005/270/EC, published in the OJ L 86/6 on April 5th 2005. The Commission Decision 2005/270/EC replaced its former Decision 97/138/EC on the formats relating to the database system pursuant to Directive 94/62/EC on packaging and packaging waste. According to the new Decision, only packaging waste and the recycling and recovery of it, shall be included in the mandatory tables. Member States shall send, together with the packaging waste and recovery data, an appropriate description on how the data has been compiled, and explanation of any estimates used. Voluntarily Member States may provide also other data on packaging and packaging waste.
In Finland, the packaging data has been collected with systematic methods since 1997. Prior to that, methods for gaining of data were studied during randomly selected years.
A significant amount of packaging is coming into Finland with imported products, also a significant amount of packaging is leaving Finland with exported products. Customs statistics recognize packaging only when it itself is a product exported or imported, that is empty packaging. Customs statistics do not have any data on packaging used to pack products imported/exported. One of the special features of the Finnish data collection systems is to produce data also on this packaging.
Some comments on materials reported
The use of “other materials" is marginal in Finland. This figure is also obtained from packers and fillers.
Reusable packaging
According to the Commission Decision 2005/270/EC, providing data on reusable packaging is voluntary. It is very important for Finland to give this data, since there are well working industrial/commercial reuse systems in place, and this data will also explain why Finland produces so little packaging waste per person per year. We use more packaging than an average European, since over 2/3 of our packaging is reusable and it is reused in existing systems. We use almost 2 090 000 tonnes of packaging annually, but produce just only 654 000 tonnes packaging waste (wood is included in the figures).
Data collection in Finland 2009
Methodology
The statistics were collected from
- packers/fillers: filled packaging placed on the Finnish market
- importers/exporters: import and export of empty packaging, import and export of filled packaging
- packaging and packaging material producers: production of packaging and packaging materials and their export/import
- recovery organisations and producer organisations: recycled, recovered material (incl. export/import).
Data was collected on all packaging. Questionnaires were sent to:
- packers/fillers, importers/exporters
- packaging and packaging material producers, recovery and producer organisations.
The data was collected by
- The Environmental Register of Packaging PYR Ltd - Pakkausalan Ympäristörekisteri PYR Oy
- Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment for Pirkanmaa - Pirkanmaan elinkeino-, liikenne- ja ympäristökeskus (ELY-keskus)
- The Association of Packaging Technology and Research - Pakkaustutkimus - PTR ry (cross-checking)
This data covers app. 90 % of all packaging placed on the Finnish market.
In Finland the recovery and recycling rates are calculated in the following way:
- Recovery rate: the amount of packaging material recovered divided by the amount of packaging material placed on the market.
- Recycling rate: the amount of packaging material recycled divided by the amount of packaging material placed on the market.
Some packaging material is exported for recycling outside Finland and is included in the recycling rate. Packaging materials imported into Finland for recycling are excluded from the recycling rate.
Table 1
Quantity of packaging placed on the market in Finland and packaging waste recovery (in tonnes)
| Material | Packaging quantity placed on the market, equals packaging waste | Recovered by recycling as material | Total recovery |
| (1) | (2) | (3) | (4) |
| GLASS | 58 275 | 26 269 | 26 269 |
| PLASTICS | 112 341 | 28 478 | 50 848 |
| PAPER, BOARD AND CORRUGATED BOARD | 241 978 | 229 208 | 272 509 |
| METALS | 46 251 | 38 983 | 38 983 |
| WOOD | 194 307 | 39 873 | 186 690 |
| OTHERS | 644 | ||
| TOTAL | 653 796 | 362 811 | 575 300 |
Table 2
Reusable packaging and total use of packaging in Finland
| Material | Total use (in tonnes) |
Reuse (in tonnes) |
Quantity placed on the market (in tonnes) | Reuse rate (%) |
| GLASS | 152 917 | 94 642 | 58 275 | 62 |
| PLASTICS | 348 793 | 236 452 | 112 341 | 68 |
| PAPER, BOARD AND CORRUGATED BOARD | 256 106 | 14 128 | 241 978 | 6 |
| METALS | 515 889 | 469 638 | 46 251 | 91 |
| WOOD | 810 916 | 616 609 | 194 307 | 76 |
| OTHERS | 1 837 | 1 193 | 644 | 65 |
| TOTAL | 2 086 459 | 1 432 662 | 653 796 | 69 |
Tables
Table 1. Packaging placed on the Finnish market, packaging waste, packaging waste recovery
According to Commission Decision 2004/270/EC, packaging placed on the Finnish market in table 1, is deemed to be equal to the amount of packaging waste generated in Finland. This data is obtained from packers/fillers and importers of packed goods placing packed products on the Finnish market.
When reusable/refillable packaging is filled for the first time, it is placed on the Finnish market and its amount is presented in table 1. When refilled/reused in commercial or industrial re-use system, these packagings are presented in table 2.
Data for the recovery and recycling of packaging waste is obtained from the recovery organisations.
The data is crosschecked in the following way:
- Packaging placed on the Finnish market is calculated taking into account the amounts of packaging manufactured and the amounts of empty and filled packaging imported and exported;
- Packaging placed on the Finnish market is also estimated by a calculation based on the consumption of products.
Compared to the previous year (2008):
The methodology used is similar to the one used in previous years.
Table 2. Reuse - special features in the Finnish systems
When a refillable/reusable packaging is filled for the first time, it is counted as packaging entering the Finnish market and listed in table 1. After the first filling the refillable packaging is in the commercial/industrial refilling-loop. In the commercial/industrial refilling-loop it is counted every time when it is filled and listed in table 2. Total use of packaging is the sum of refilled packaging and one-way packaging.
Packers and fillers report their use of refillable packaging according to the packaging type, the weight of packaging and its filling times.