YRITTÄJÄ, tule mukaan omiesi pariin! Liity Yrittäjiin.
Restaurant owner: remember producer responsibility for foreign takeaway packages
A restaurant that uses takeaway packaging bought abroad must fulfil its statutory waste management producer responsibility, the supervisory authority reminds restaurants.
Producer responsibility applies to restaurants that buy takeaway packaging or other packaged products, such as ingredients, from abroad. The Pirkanmaa ELY Centre, which monitors producer responsibility, reminds restaurants about the matter in a press release.
Previously, producer responsibility only concerned businesses with a turnover of more than €1 million. Since amendments to the producer responsibility legislation at the start of 2024, producer responsibility for packaging now applies to all companies which place packages on the Finnish market.
Either the packaging manufacturer or importer bears producer responsibility for takeaway packaging. If a Finnish restaurant buys its takeaway packaging from a Finnish manufacturer, wholesaler or reseller, the restaurant itself does not bear producer responsibility for the takeaway packaging it uses. However, if a Finnish restaurant imports its takeaway packaging or buys them on a foreign online shop, it then bears producer responsibility for the takeaway packaging.
Examples of takeaway packaging are pizza boxes, disposable plastic or cardboard boxes, paper food bags, paper and plastic bags, disposable plates and cups, clingfilm, sandwich bags and aluminium foil.
If the restaurant imports other products than takeaway packaging, it must bear its producer responsibility for the packaging of those products also.
How can a restaurant fulfil its producer responsibility?
A restaurant can fulfil its producer responsibility by joining a packaging producer association. There are two approved packaging producer associations in Finland: Suomen Pakkaustuottajat Oy and Sumi Oy.
If a company subject to producer responsibility has not met its obligations, the Pirkanmaa ELY Centre can, as the supervisory authority, issue a penalty equal to one per cent of the company’s turnover in the previous accounting year, but in any case, no less than €500 and no more than €500,000.
Read more about producer responsibility here.
Are you a Suomen Yrittäjät member yet? Read more about member benefits and advantages!
