Biowaste for properties with 1 to 4 apartments

According to the revised Waste Act, in addition to mixed waste, HSY must organise biowaste collection of food waste for properties with 1 to 4 apartments in the Helsinki metropolitan area and Kirkkonummi.

This refers to the food waste generated by households, garden fruits, berries as well as cultivated food plants. Small amounts of other biowaste, such as garden waste, can also be placed in the waste container. Biowaste is an important raw material for soil and energy production.

The options for sorting and processing biowaste

The options are as follows:

  1. HSY biowaste container, emptying every one, two, or four weeks depending on the number of inhabitants
  2. Personal composter, self-service composting on the property
  3. Sharing a biowaste container or composter with nearby neighbours

Biowaste collection has started in the Helsinki Metropolitan area and Kirkkonummi

If you have selected composting, be sure to file a composting notification with HSY. 

Waste management e-service

In our electronic waste management service, you can order waste containers, change the collection frequency of your waste container as well as its size, and check the collection day, for example.
Waste Management e-service Composting notification form (in Finnish)

An emptied HSY biowaste container

The HSY waste container delivered to the property and its emptying interval depend on the number of inhabitants indicated in the order.

  • For a property with 1–8 residents, the container is emptied every four weeks.
  • For a property with 9–16 residents, the container is emptied every two weeks.
  • For a property with more than 16 residents, the container is emptied once a week.

You can start using the biowaste container as soon as it arrives at the property; emptying will begin immediately after the container is delivered.

Please note that

  • it is not possible to put a lining sack in the ventilated biowaste containers used in small properties due to their technical structure. The ventilated waste container, which has been developed for properties that produce little biowaste, keeps the waste drier. As a result, the emptying interval of the biowaste container can be up to four weeks in small properties. However, it is important to remember to pack the biowaste well, preferably in a paper bag, but biodegradable biowaste bags and plastic-free carton packages are also suitable for this purpose.
  • only small amounts of apples, for example, may be placed in the biowaste container during the autumn harvest to prevent the waste container from becoming too heavy to empty. Large quantities should be delivered to the nearest Sortti Station.

Biowaste container information

Volume: 140 l
Size: Height approximately 110 cm, width approximately 50 cm, depth 55 cm.
Price in 2024: €7.11 / emptying, includes VAT 24% (includes the price of the rental container)

Self-service composting

Instead of using an emptied biowaste container, you can compost the biowaste you produce and utilise the nutrients from the compost on your property. For the time being, HSY does not offer any composters, so you have to buy one yourself. If you compost food waste, you must report it to HSY. A notification is not necessary when composting garden waste only. The notification is valid for five years.

If you only compost for part of the year, please also order an emptied biowaste container and the required emptying services for your property for the time when you are not composting. A biowaste container is also needed if the property has more than one apartment and not everyone participates in the composting. The composter can also be in shared use.

Are you already composting on the property? If you have not submitted a composting notification to HSY or you have done it before June 2022, please submit a composting notification.

On our website you will find a link to a composting notification as well as good instructions and a downloadable composting guide. 

Read more about composting,

Interested in pooling your waste?

You can agree with your nearby neighbours on the use of a shared waste container or composter. The shared use may cover any type of waste.

Read more about the sharing agreement and its terms and conditions, after which you can fill in the electronic sharing agreement found on the page:

Joint use of waste containers with neighbours,

Progress of biowaste collection

The changes will enter into force in stages:

  • Espoo, Kauniainen and Kirkkonummi 1.7.2023
  • Vantaa 1.1.2024
  • Helsinki 1.7.2024.

If the property already has biowaste collection by HSY or composting for food waste, and a composting notification has been submitted in June 2022 or later, you do not need to do anything as our customer. Your waste management complies with the law. Biowaste collection does not need to be arranged for holiday properties.

Biowaste collection Q&A

Questions related to biowaste containers and collection

Sorting biowaste

Composting

Questions related to the background to the reform