Service and grower packaging

Rinkiin.fi Service and grower packaging

Extended producer responsibility (EPR) of service and grower packaging is transferred from companies that pack products in these packaging to the manufacturer or importer of the empty packaging. For example, a take-away coffee cup will no longer be reported by the café but the manufacturer or importer of the cup.

The change influences packaging data reporting in the beginning of 2025 when the 2024 packaging data is reported.

  • Companies using service and grower packaging no longer report these packaging if they are not the importer of the packaging (or manufacturer).
  • The Finnish manufacturers or importers of service and grower packaging must report these packaging and pay EPR fees for them. 

What are service and grower packaging?

Service packaging

Service packaging is packaging used for packing food and other products directly to consumers at the point of sales. They are for example:
  • Plastic or paper bags offered or sold in stores to pack purchases
  • Bags for fruit and vegetables
  • All kinds of take-away packaging
  • Packaging for pastries sold loose
  • Pizza boxes or bags for packing loose candy in stores

 

A service packaging is filled in the same premises where it is sold to the consumer (e.g. café or shop). Service packaging is therefore not packaging of products packed previously elsewhere (e.g. salad portions, which have been packed in the central kitchen and delivered to the store to be sold).

Grower packaging

Grower packaging is packaging used by agricultural and horticultural companies to pack unprocessed products of the company directly from the holding. Berries, vegetables or cereal, for example, can be packed in grower packaging.

A packaging is a grower packaging only if the packed product is classified as unprocessed. A product is considered unprocessed if they have only undergone simple physical treatment i.e. so-called market preparation (e.g. rinsing, removing leaves, sorting).

Grower packaging is therefore not such packaging that is used for packing processed agricultural products. Such processing/treatment includes e.g. drying (excluding grain drying), grinding, crushing, decorticating, freezing, cooking, cutting, animal processing from slaughter onwards, seed treatment and egg packing in an egg packing plant where eggs are marked and packed for consumers and mass caterers.

Packaging used by food industry, wholesale or packing centres are not considered grower packaging, because this is not packing of own products of the agricultural or horticultural businesses. For the packaging used by food industry, wholesale and packing centres, the company that packs products in this packaging has producer responsibility.

Frequently asked questions about service- and grower packaging

Our company packs products in service or grower packaging. How to report?

From the 2024 packaging data reporting onwards it is always the Finnish manufacturer or the importer to Finland of the empty packaging that is responsible for reporting and EPR fees of service and grower packaging.

If you pack your products in service or grower packaging that you have not manufactured or imported, you do not report these packaging at all. This concerns all packaging data declaration forms – the company is not supposed to report service and grower packaging on the basic declaration form, the SUP form nor the separate form for service and grower packaging.

For example, a café does not report coffee cups, sandwich wrappers or paper bags used as service packaging, if they have not imported these packaging. Similarly, an agricultural holding does not report potato sacks or tomato boxes as grower packaging, because it is the manufacturer or importer of the packaging that is responsible for reporting.

If your company packs products in such service or grower packaging that it has manufactured or imported, EPR and therefore responsibility for reporting these packaging remains within your company.
Our company manufactures or imports service or grower packaging. How to report?

The responsibility to report and pay EPR fees for packaging used as service or grower packaging was transferred 1.1.2024 to the Finnish manufacturer or importer to Finland of service and grower packaging. If the obligation to report service or grower packaging has been transferred to your company, please make sure that you report these packaging to RINKI by 31.1.2025.

As for other packaging, only packaging put on the market in Finland is reported to RINKI. Service or grower packaging that is exported is not reported to RINKI.

The manufacturer or importer of service or grower packaging is responsible for reporting these packaging on all the declaration forms:

  1. Basic packaging data declaration form (light or detailed) is used to report all service or grower packaging manufactured or imported by your company.
  2. SUP-packaging declaration form is used to report all service or grower packaging that your company has manufactured or imported, that is used as SUP packaging. These can be e.g. cherry tomato boxes, plastic bags and small bags, single-use cups and different wrappers.
  3. In addition, for reporting 2024 packaging data there is a separate service and grower packaging declaration form. This form is used for reporting service and grower packaging for which EPR was transferred to your company following the change 1.1.2024. This concerns service and grower packaging that your company manufactures in Finland or imports to Finland but does not use for packing products. The separate service and grower packaging declaration form is therefore not used for such service and grower packaging your company has manufactured or imported and that your company uses for packing products because you had producer responsibility for these packaging already prior to the 1.1.2024 legislation change. This form is in use temporarily due to the transition period in EPR and will no longer be used after the 2024 packaging data reporting.

 

EPR for service and grower packaging was transferred to the Finnish manufacturer or importer of the empty packaging from 1.1.2024. These producers according to the new definition report service and grower packaging for the first time in the beginning of 2025 and pay the 2024 recycling and business service fees retroactively.

 

The fees are invoiced based on the packaging volumes reported on the separate service and grower packaging declaration form. The 2024 price list is applied to these fees, and they are invoiced according to the price list of the producer organization with which the company has a contract in 2024. The SUP fees are invoiced based on the volumes reported on the form.

 Click here for reporting instructions >

Do you have any questions about service- and grower packaging?

RINKI customer service for companies helps with all questions related to packaging EPR.

09 6162 3500 (local landline charge/mobile charge), on weekdays 8.30 a.m – 15.30
info@rinkiin.fi