Properties with 1-4 households
Waste Collection Obligations by Waste Type
Mixed Waste
All residential properties with 1-4 apartments (e.g., detached houses, semi-detached houses, holiday homes, or similar) must have waste collection at least for mixed waste. Mixed waste collection is ordered from a private transport company, except in areas where Salpakierto organizes waste collection in Kärkölä, Heinola’s sparsely populated areas, and Orimattila’s Artjärvi. The region will transition to Salpakierto’s jointly tendered waste collection for mixed waste starting from April 2026, gradually by municipality. Read more about the transition (in Finnish).
Biowaste
In urban areas with over 10,000 inhabitants, including the central areas of Lahti, Heinola, and Hollola, as well as the village of Nastola, there is an obligation to collect and sort biowaste (biowaste bin or composter). Check if your property is subject to the biowaste collection obligation using the map application .
Properties not subject to the biowaste collection obligation can voluntarily order collections throughout the region. For single-family houses in sparsely populated areas, biowaste composting is primarily recommended. The emptying fee includes the waste bin. Biowaste collections are jointly tendered throughout the region by Salpakierto.
Reporting Biowaste Composting
Biowaste (food waste) composting and the cessation of composting must be reported in writing to the waste management authority of the Lahti region. The notification must also be made for biowaste composting at holiday homes. Make a notification even if biowaste is composted only part of the year, e.g., during the summer season. Make a composting notification if it has not been done previously or if the notification was made before January 1, 2022. Read more about composting on the property.
Packaging Waste
Cardboard, glass, plastic, and metal packaging should be sorted separately and taken to Rinki eco-points organized by the producer. Rinki eco-points in the region can be found on the producer organization’s website rinkiin.fi.
If you do not want to use Rinki eco-points or if their use is not possible, you can order packaging waste collection for the property throughout the region for one or each type of packaging waste. Households usually generate the most plastic and cardboard packaging waste, so collecting them in a separate bin on the property often significantly facilitates household waste management.
Packaging waste collections are jointly tendered throughout the region by Salpakierto. The emptying fee includes the waste bin.
Multi-compartment Collection of Packaging Waste
It is possible to order voluntary multi-compartment collection of packaging waste for properties located in the central areas of Lahti and Hollola, as well as the village of Nastola. The multi-compartment collection service will start in October 2025. Read more about multi-compartment collection (in Finnish).
Paper
Paper is collected at regional collection points organized by producers. Single-family houses located in apartment or row house areas can also acquire their own collection bin for paper and join the producer-organized paper collection. The paper collection service is ordered from a private transport company.
Waste Bin Emptying Intervals
Waste bins are emptied according to the agreed regular emptying schedule. Waste bins must be emptied so that they do not cause odor nuisance or other problems, such as for waste transport, at least as follows:
| Waste type | Maximum intervals |
|---|---|
| Mixed waste, if the property has a separate bin for biowaste or if biowaste (food waste) is composted | 16 weeks |
| Mixed waste, if there is no composting on the property or there is no separate collection for biowaste | 4 weeks |
| Biowaste, ordinary bin | 2 weeks (summer period 1 May–31 August) 4 weeks (winter period 1 September–30 April) |
| Biowaste if it is collected in a ventilated waste container | 4 weeks |
| Plastic packaging | 24 weeks |
| Carton packaging | 24 weeks |
| Glass packaging | 24 weeks |
| Metal packaging | 24 weeks |
The emptying interval for mixed waste bins longer than 16 weeks must be applied for in writing from the waste management authority of the Lahti region at lahti.fi/jatehuoltoviranomainen.
The condition for granting an exemption is that the accumulated waste fits into the waste bin so that the lid can always be closed, the emptying interval is not extended by using waste bins that are too large for the need, waste is not burned, biodegradable food waste is composted or separately collected, recyclable waste is sorted and delivered to Rinki eco-points, the property has a valid contract for emptying mixed waste bins with a waste transport company, and there is no littering or odor nuisance.
Alternative Ways to Organize Property Waste Management
- Property-specific waste bin (home collection): Home collection is the primary way to organize waste management on the property. The bins are used only by the residents of the property. Home collection can be suspended when the property is not in use. The customer’s waste management status can be a regular emptying schedule or a temporary suspension.
- Shared waste bin: A shared waste (group) bin can be formed by neighboring properties in a zoning area and in sparsely populated areas, e.g., properties located along the same private road. Read more about waste groups.
- Using a regional collection point for mixed waste: This option is only available in areas where Salpakierto organizes waste collection in Kärkölä, Heinola’s sparsely populated areas, and Orimattila’s Artjärvi. A user can join a regional collection point only if there is no road to the property or the road connection is poor and cannot withstand the weight of a waste truck. Joining is done by contacting customer service.
Property-specific waste bin (home collection) and shared waste bin (waste group) emptying can be suspended for a fixed period when the property is not in use. The waste bin must be empty during the suspension period.
For suspensions of less than a year for home collection service and waste group, Salpakierto customer service must be notified, and in the case of waste transport organized by the property owner, the waste transport customer service must be notified. The notification must be made at least seven (7) working days before the suspension begins, and the suspension must last at least a week.
Suspensions of a year or more for property-specific waste bin emptying (home collection) must be applied for in writing from the Lahti region waste management authority.
Mixed waste collection points are available in areas with jointly tendered and Salpakierto-organized waste transport in Kärkölä, Orimattila Artjärvi, and Heinola rural areas.
Waste transport should primarily be connected to a property-specific waste bin (home collection) or a shared waste bin (waste group). A user can only join a collection point if there is no road to the property or the road connection is poor and cannot support the weight of a waste truck.
The Lahti region waste management authority can connect a property to a collection point if the property does not have property-specific waste bins, a shared waste bin, or collection point service.
Non-daily Waste
Non-daily household waste, such as furniture, electrical appliances, hazardous waste, construction and renovation waste, garden waste, scrap metal, discarded textiles, etc., must be delivered to reception points. They are not collected on properties and should not be placed in the property’s waste bin.