Finland achieved Last year marked another milestone in our recycling efforts, with the public returning more than 2.2 billion deposit-based beverage containers, the highest number ever. This significant increase, nearly 39 million more than in 2022, highlights the country’s commitment to recycling and the efficiency of its return system. Cans were the most popular item returned, with more than 1.4 billion recycled, followed by plastic bottles with more than 662 million and glass bottles with 125 million.
Last year, every Finnish person returned an average of 392 beverage containers to recycling machines. This is a testament to the nation’s commitment to environmental sustainability. “Achieving a new record is always a cause for celebration and shows Finland’s ambition to recycle bottles and cans. It also speaks to the effectiveness of our beverage container recycling system.” . Tomi VihavainenDirector of Palpa, an organization responsible for managing deposit-based beverage container recycling.
The Lapland region had the highest per capita return rate, with 527 containers per resident, highlighting regional differences influenced by tourism and the prevalence of holiday homes. In contrast, Åland Island had the lowest return rate with 298 returns per resident.
Inequality also extends to urban areas, with Pori leading the pack among Finland’s 20 largest cities, with 521 returns per capita. Espoo, on the other hand, had the lowest infection rate among major cities, with 307 infections per inhabitant.
This large-scale recycling initiative is facilitated by Finland’s network of 4,000 return points, ensuring convenience for citizens across the country. “In Finland, the location of the return point is not important. What matters is that used bottles and cans are returned for recycling and new packaging is made from them,” Vihavainen stressed.
This achievement not only reflects the nation’s commitment to environmental management, but also highlights the success of Finland’s recycling infrastructure in promoting a circular economy.
HT