New amendment brings major change to packaging legislation in Finland

At the end of June 2021, the Finnish Parliament adopted new waste legislation which will come into force in August 2021. Valpak’s International Account Manager, Lauren Shrimpton, looks at this large legislative package and its far-reaching implications for producers across the world.

Who does this legislation now affect?

The biggest change is that foreign distance sellers (with a turnover of at least €1 million) are now obligated for packaging compliance. This includes the following types of operators:

• Finnish companies that pack products in Finland for the Finnish market (in-house or via subcontractors)
• Finnish companies that import packaged products to the Finnish markets
• Finnish companies that imports for their own use
• Foreign companies that sell packaged products to end-users in Finland through distance sales, e.g., online retailers

The following operators can also adhere to the system:

• Ecommerce platform administrators that have written authorisation to comply with producer responsibility obligations on behalf of distance sellers
• Authorised representatives acting on behalf of distance sellers, ecommerce platform administrators, or operators comparable to a producer
  • Operators comparable to a producer means an operator established in another country and delivers products via other means than distance sales to producers established in Finland

How do companies comply?

In order to comply with the regulations, companies can either comply individually or register with a scheme such as RINKI.

For companies that register with a compliance scheme they must submit annual declarations detailing the materials and quantities of packaging that is placed onto the Finnish market.

Companies must then pay the accompanying compliance fees to become compliant.

Valpak International Compliance Service

If your business is affected by environmental legislation overseas, we will remove the administrative and resource intensive burden of complying and have a range of services that can be tailored to suit your business’s needs.

To find out more about international environmental legislation and how we can help please call us on 03450 682 572 or complete our online enquiry form.