PVC plastic packaging can now be placed in the plastic packaging collection

The sorting guidelines for plastic packaging are changing. Packaging made of PVC will be included in the scope of plastic packaging collection from June 2022. 

From 1 June 2022, households can place PVC plastic packaging in their plastic packaging collection along with other types of plastic packaging. Until now, putting PVC into the plastic collection has been forbidden.

The change will make sorting even easier. Consumers just need to remember that only packaging is recycled.

Packaging such as blister packs for medicines and the packaging of some electronic products are often made of PVC. Clear packaging made of PVC, or polyvinyl chloride, can be identified by being folded: if the clear plastic turns white when folded, it is likely to be PVC.

More plastic packaging needs to be recycled

The new recycling targets require more plastic packaging to be collected and recycled. The target is to recycle at least 50 percent of all plastic packaging by 2025.

Consumers play an important role in this. If households sort more of their plastic packaging so that more of it goes into the plastic collection, recycling facilities can better separate the different types of plastic for the manufacture of recycled plastic.

Recycling plastic packaging is an easy eco action. Using one kilogram of recycled plastic reduces carbon dioxide emissions by up to 1.5 kilograms compared to using one kilogram of virgin plastic. Recycling saves energy and the environment and also combats climate change.

Households can take their plastic packaging to a Rinki eco take-back point or to a container at the building where they live.

Find your nearest eco take-back point here.

The easy way to recycle plastic packaging: 

• Put all empty and dry plastic packaging into a plastic collection container.
• If necessary, rinse the plastic packaging with cold water or wipe off any food residues. Don’t worry about stains.
• Packaging may be made of a mixture of plastic and other materials. If the largest proportion of the packaging is plastic, it should be placed in the plastic packaging collection.
• Remove caps, lids and dispenser pumps and recycle them separately. Do not stack plastic packaging together as the optical reader only recognises the outer package.

More information about PVC packaging can be found on the Finnish Plastics Recycling Ltd website.

The instructions for recycling plastic can be found here.