Municipal waste charge

WHAT IS THE MUNICIPAL WASTE CHARGE?

The municipal waste charge (formerly the eco-fee) constitutes a legally enforceable liability determined by the municipal waste management authority pursuant to the Finnish Waste Act (646/2011, Chapter 9, Waste management charges). In the area served by Salpakierto, the charge was implemented on 1 July 2008.

This charge is used to finance the receiving and handling of recyclable household waste for which no fee is charged. In addition, the charge is used to cover the costs of waste reception stations, the Roinaralli collection point, the provision of advice on waste, the operations of the waste management authority (Lahti Region Waste Management Committee/ Lahti Region Waste Management Authority) and aftercare for decommissioned landfills.

The municipal waste charge is charged once a year for holiday homes and properties in full-time residential use or properties that are usable for such purposes. The party owning the property at the time of invoicing is liable for the charge. On 11 June 2020, the Lahti Region Waste Management Committee, which serves as the local waste management authority, approved waste rates, which define the grounds for and the amount of the municipal waste charge.

MUNICIPAL WASTE CHARGE FROM 1 SEPTEMBER 2024 ONWARDS

  • Class 1: EUR 36.92 per household per year (EUR 29.42 + applicable VAT)
  • Class 2: EUR 23.76 per household per year (EUR 18.93+ applicable VAT)

The payment class is determined on the basis of the classification of buildings in the building register of the Digital and Population Data Services Agency.

  • Class 1: residential buildings (classification of buildings 01)
  • Class 2: free-time residential buildings (classification of buildings 02) and other buildings (classification of buildings 03-19)

The invoice is sent to the owner once a year either as a paper or electronic invoice. An agreement on an e-invoice can be made via an online bank. Direct debit agreements must be made with your bank.

In housing companies, a joint invoice for all the households in the building is sent to the building manager, who then invoices the owners for their share of the fee directly or as part of the maintenance fee, in accordance with the housing company’s articles of association.

APPLICATIONS FOR CHANGES

You can apply for exemption from the municipal waste charge (exemption from the waste management responsibility) if your property is not fit for human habitation or the property has been demolished or otherwise destroyed.

As proof of your property being unfit for habitation, you can attach a certificate issued by a certified building health specialist (Eurofins certificate) or a statement on the condition of the building issued by a FISE-certified damp surveyor, housing trace condition inspector or building surveyor to your application. You can also attach a statement by a certified building health specialist to verify that the property is unfit for habitation.

The person liable for the charge has the right to submit a complaint in writing to the Lahti Region Waste Management Committee within 14 days of receiving the invoice. The municipal waste charge must be paid by the due date, even if an application for changes to it has been submitted (Chapter 9 of the Waste Act 646/2011).

Applications for exemption from the charge must be submitted to the Lahti Region Waste Management Authority:

  • online at: lahti.fi/jatehuoltoviranomainen -> waste management services and forms -> application for exemption from the municipal waste charge
  • paper applications: municipal service points

CONTACT US

Changes in information such as invoicing details, the owner of the property or the number of households must be submitted to the customer service of Salpakierto: