Waste generation and treatment (env_wasgt)

National Reference Metadata in ESS Standard for Quality Reports Structure (ESQRS)

Compiling agency: Statistics Finland


Eurostat metadata
Reference metadata
1. Contact
2. Statistical presentation
3. Statistical processing
4. Quality management
5. Relevance
6. Accuracy and reliability
7. Timeliness and punctuality
8. Coherence and comparability
9. Accessibility and clarity
10. Cost and Burden
11. Confidentiality
12. Comment
Related Metadata
Annexes (including footnotes)
 



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1. Contact Top
1.1. Contact organisation

Statistics Finland
1.2. Contact organisation unit

Energy, environment and greenhouse gases
1.5. Contact mail address

00022 TILASTOKESKUS


2. Statistical presentation Top
2.1. Data description

[not requested]
2.2. Classification system

Not available.
New concept added with the migration to SIMS 2.0.
Information (content) will be available after the next collection.
2.3. Coverage - sector

Not available.
New concept added with the migration to SIMS 2.0.
Information (content) will be available after the next collection.
2.4. Statistical concepts and definitions

Not available.
New concept added with the migration to SIMS 2.0.
Information (content) will be available after the next collection.
2.5. Statistical unit

Not available.
New concept added with the migration to SIMS 2.0.
Information (content) will be available after the next collection.
2.6. Statistical population

Not available.
New concept added with the migration to SIMS 2.0.
Information (content) will be available after the next collection.
2.7. Reference area

Not available.
New concept added with the migration to SIMS 2.0.
Information (content) will be available after the next collection.
2.8. Coverage - Time

Not available.
New concept added with the migration to SIMS 2.0.
Information (content) will be available after the next collection.
2.9. Base period

Not available.
New concept added with the migration to SIMS 2.0.
Information (content) will be available after the next collection.


3. Statistical processing Top
3.1. Source data
Relationship of the parties/sources to the areas of the Regulation on Waste Statistics:
 

 

Assessment of the continuity of the data source, e.g. legal basis for the data source:
Most of the data sources are institutes or bodies governed by public law, and are financed from public funds or are part of public administration. Co-operation with the partners is consolidated and its continuity is ensured. Producer responsibility organisations are also obliged to produce data continuously. Finnish Solid Waste Association (FSWA) is doing valuable work enhancing data collection methods and practices in municipal waste management.

 

Institutions involved and distribution of tasks
Name of institution Description of key responsibilities
The Ministry of Environment

Legislative and specification work

Organizing waste registers in accordance with the requirements of the WFD

Waste classification and treatment codes;

Decision on classification of waste

Implementing the LoW to national legislation and practises

Specification of waste recovery and treatment codes

Co-ordinating the use and development of VAHTI/YLVA -Compliance Monitoring Data system (2017- VAHTI is discontinued, duties transferred to the YLVA-system)
 Statistics Finland

Co-ordinating statistical data collection

Aggregating data from different sources

WStatR reporting and Quality report
The Finnish Environment Institute

Monitoring the state of the environment. Administrative register of permitted soil extraction (NOTTO) NOTTO is allso used by Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment.

Monitors international waste shipments and acts as the correspondent pursuant to the Waste Shipment Regulation.
Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment The Centre for economic development, transport and the environment for Pirkanmaa supervises compliance with provisions on producer responsibility on a national level. Producer responsibility concerns tyres, paper products, packaging, electrical and electronic equipment, batteries and accumulators.

 
   
The Natural Resources Institute of Finland LUKE An Annual survey regarding forestry and wood use in Finland,  an Annual survey concerning Finnish game and fisheries, an Annual survey regarding the agricultural sector in Finland. Responsible for compiling food waste statistics under WFD requirements
The Finnish Safety and Chemicals Agency (Tukes) Register of mineral extraction in Finnish mining and quarrying industry. Source of mining waste data in addition to YLVA-register
Environmental Permit Authorities

Regional State Administrative Agencies issue environmental permits for major waste treatment facilities, such as landfills, waste incineration plants, hazardous waste treatment sites and large-scale waste recovery or final treatment plants. Keeps the Administrative register of waste permits.

Centres for economic development, transport and the environment guide and monitor the waste management in municipalities. The centres monitor compliance with environmental permits and prepare regional waste management plans. They also register professional waste carriers and transporters in the waste management database.

 
   
   
   
Municipalities and waste treatment consortiums  

Municipalities are responsible for the management of domestic waste. In many municipalities, waste management duties have been transferred to local waste companies, who organise most of the municipal waste management, including transportation, landfills, composting and incineration plants and waste guidance.

Municipal waste management authority is responsible for the public administrative duties related to waste management, such as deciding on the municipal waste tariff and the waste treatment system. If several municipalities have co-operated to form a regional waste management company, the municipalities must also set up a joint organisation for the administrative duties.

Municipal environment protection authorities can have one or several municipalities under their responsibility. The authorities issue waste permits to smaller operations, including the storage of hazardous waste and end-of-life vehicles. They also accept notifications of professional waste carriers in the waste management register. Municipal authorities supervise the compliance of businesses and the public with the Waste Act, including the obligation to belong to an organised waste management system, appropriate waste collection and the prohibition on litter.
The Finnish Transport Safety Agency (Trafi) Register of vehicles decommissioned from traffic
   
The HSY Helsinki Region Environmental Services Authority Survey regarding the generation of municipal waste in households and service sector
Statistics and research Åland (ÅSUB) Compiling Åland autonomous area statistics and ÅSUBs own quality report
Paperinkeräys Oy This enterprise is authorized to organize the collection of printing and writing paper.
Producer responsibility organisation
Finnish Packaging Recycling RINKI Ltd Organisation responsible for providing producer responsibility organisation's data on packaging and packaging waste to the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment of Pirkanmaa
KIVO ry - Finnish Solid Waste Association Represents Finnish regional and municipal waste management companies

 

General description of Data set 1: Waste generation by waste category (EWC-STAT) and economic activity (NACE)

General description of methodology:
 

 

Determination of waste generation in the economy on the basis of information on waste collection
The information on waste collection has been used only in the compiling of waste statistics concerning so called producer responsibility waste like packaging waste from households and municipalties and other municipal waste like paper and cardboard waste. Construction and demolition waste other than soil and stones -data is collected allso from waste treatment facilities receiving collected C&D waste. Waste collection data from management facilities is reported to YLVA -registry and included in the registry data used by Statistics Finland. Producer responsibility data is aggregated by producer responsibility organisations and transferred to authorities responsible for producer responsibility, aggregated statistics compiled by these organisations are used in statistics.

 

Determination of waste generation in the economy on the basis of administrative sources
 

Column 1, NACE Rev. 2 Divisions  01, 02

Public institutions (registrars/supervisory bodies):

  • Administrative register of the Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment, Ministry of the Environment and Permit Authorities. The register is called 'The VAHTI/YLVA Compliance Monitoring Data System'. VAHTI/YLVA is a tool for the 15 Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment for processing and monitoring environmental permits. Environmental permits are needed for all activities that may lead to pollution. Such permits are required by law by, among others, waste treatment and disposal facilities.
  • The register data of VAHTI/YLVA is the primary information source for all waste statistics in Finland. First of all it contains information about manufacturing, electricity and environmental management. The data is produced and updated continuously and it's validity is quite excellent and the quality is the best available. The statistical units of VAHTI/YLVA are converted by Statistics Finland to LKAUs. Statistics Finland participated in making the decision about the data collection forms of this register and co-operates with the the Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment  and the  Ministry of the Environment continuously and in good co-operation.
  • On the wastes from agriculture and forestry, VAHTI/YLVA includes information on treated amounts of manure.
  • The annual survey on forestry in Finland by the Finnish Forest Research Institute is a regular and extensive data collection and produces valid information on wood wastes, but does not cover other waste items and there is little possibility to change this. Almost all waste from agriculture and forestry are excluded from the scope of the waste statistics due the waste framework directive exclusions.

Associations/organisations established by the public sector:

Others: -

Column 2, NACE Rev. 2 Division 03

Public institutions (registrars/supervisory bodies): -

Associations/organisations established by the public sector:

  • Annual surveys by The Natural Resources Institute of Finland LUKE. The Institute produces scientific data about fisheries, game and reindeer husbandry for monitoring sustainable use of natural resources. It produces valid information on fish waste, but does not cover other waste items.

Others: -

Column 3, NACE Rev. 2 Divisions 05–09

Public institutions (registrars/supervisory bodies):

  • Register data regarding mining and quarrying in Finland produced by The Finnish Safety and Chemicals Agency (Tukes). The data collection is regular and produces valid information on mineral waste, but does not cover other waste issues.

  • The administrative register data of VAHTI/YLVA (see (1) A)

Associations/organisations established by the public sector: -

Others:

Columns 4–13, NACE Rev. 2 Divisions 10–33

Public institutions (registrars/supervisory bodies):

  • The administrative register data of VAHTI/YLVA (see (1) A).

  • Estimation model for small enterprises.This model has formulated by industrial class using the data of Statistics Finland on the sold and total outputs of manufacturing. Auxiliary data are collected annually from enterprise establishments according to NACE.

Associations/organisations established by the public sector:

Others: -

Column 14, NACE Rev. 2 Division 35

Public institutions (registrars/supervisory bodies):

  • The administrative register data of VAHTI/YLVA (see (1) A).
  • Packaging waste information from producer responsibility organisations.

Associations/organisations established by the public sector: -

Others: -

Column 15 –16,  NACE Rev. 2 Divisions 36–38

Public institutions (registrars/supervisory bodies):

  • The administrative register data of VAHTI/YLVA (see (1) A).

Associations/organisations established by the public sector: -

Others: -

Column 17, NACE Rev. 2 Divisions  41– 43

Public institutions (registrars/supervisory bodies):

  • The administrative register data of VAHTI/YLVA (see (1) A).
  • Statistics Finland transport statistics on transported surplus soil

Associations/organisations established by the public sector:

 Others:

Column 18, NACE Rev. 2 Divisions 45 – 99

Public institutions (registrars/supervisory bodies):

  • The administrative register data of VAHTI/YLVA (see (1) A). Indirect determination via waste treatment data. The VAHTI/YLVA Compliance Monitoring Data System covers all significant enterprises and facilities that treat professionally waste. Differentiation between household and services generated municipal waste is made by using a survey by the HSY Helsinki Region Environmental Services Authority (below) and modelling. Before differentiation between services and households, the volume of municipal waste from the other sectors is deducted by using direct information on generation, included in to the YLVA-register's data.

  • End-of-life vehicles are determined indirectly via the Finnish Transport Safety Agency (Trafi) register of vehicles decommissioned from traffic.

  • Estimation of the amount of producer responsibility wastes like paper and cardboard, packaging waste, WEEE and tires, especially for recovery is based on statistics made by the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment of Pirkanmaa
  • Surveys concerning municipal waste by the HSY Helsinki Region Environmental Services Authority. This Metropolitan Area covers about one-quarter of the Finnish population. Based on the survey is estimated the percentage shares of municipal waste from services and households. These shares are applied to the whole country by a model taking into account population data, economic data and volumes of service facilities. The survey must be repeated at intervals in order to get accurate results in the future.

Associations/organisations established by the public sector:

Others:

Column 19, NACE Rev. 2 Division 4677

Public institutions (registrars/supervisory bodies):

  • The administrative register data of VAHTI/YLVA (see (1) A).

Associations/organisations established by the public sector: -

Others: -

Column 20,   HH

Public institutions (registrars/supervisory bodies):

  • The administrative register data of VAHTI/YLVA (see (1) A). Indirect determination via waste treatment data. The VAHTI/YLVA Compliance Monitoring Data System covers all significant enterprises and facilities that treat professionally waste. Differentiation between household and services municipal waste is made by using surveys by the HSY Helsinki Region Environmental Services Authority (below) and modelling. Before differentiation between services and households, the volume of municipal waste from the other sectors is deducted by using direct information on generation.

  • End-of-life vehicles are determined indirectly via the Finnish Transport Safety Agency (Trafi) register of vehicles decommissioned from traffic.

  • Estimation of the amount of producer responsibility wastes like paper and cardboard, packaging waste, WEEE and tires, is based especially for recovery on statistics made by the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment of Pirkanmaa
  • Survey concerning municipal waste by the HSY Helsinki Region Environmental Services Authority. This Metropolitan Area covers about one-quarter of the Finnish population. In the survey percentage shares of municipal waste are calculated for services and households. These shares are applied to the whole country taking into account population data, economic data and volumes of service facilities. The survey must be repeated at intervals in order to get accurate results in future.

Associations/organisations established by the public sector:

Others: -

 

Data sets 2 and 3: Waste treatment

General description of methodology:
The relevant waste treatment facilities are identified via 'The VAHTI/YLVA Compliance Monitoring Data System’.  The VAHTI/YLVA is a tool of the 15 Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment for processing and monitoring environmental permits. Environmental permits are requested by law by all activities that may lead to pollution. Such permits are required of, among others, all waste treatment and disposal facilities, and these facilities data is entered into the register. Only a very insignificant waste treatment facility can be excluded from this register.

The Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment collect annually data on treated quantities from the enterprises that have environmental permits. Most of the data are collected with an e-form and the questionnaire has been formulated in co-operation between Statistics Finland and the permit authorities. Annual treatment data is stored in to the VAHTI/YLVA register.

Estimation of the amount of producer responsibility wastes like paper and cardboard, packaging waste, WEEE and tires, especially for recovery, is based on statistics made by the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment of Pirkanmaa

Data on the capacities of treatment facilities are not collected annually, but the environmental permits state somehow often limit values for these capacities.

 

Identification of relevant treatment facilities:
 Data from the VAHTI/YLVA administrative register, covering almost entirely professional waste treatment. Facilities are not classified according the treatment type in any register and this makes it very difficult to identify and count the numbers and capacities. YLVA annual treatment data can be used in combination with issued environmental permits written descriptions of the types of waste treatment the facilities run. Max. waste treatment capacities are not often determined and it must be somehow modelled from data of max annual input of different materials to faclities processes and using conversions from energy units to mass-units and volumes based on average energy per weight or volume assumptions.

 

Registers used for identification of waste treatment operations
Identification of register(s) used (name; responsible institution) Description of register(s) (coverage; frequency and procedure of updating, ..)
 The VAHTI/YLVA Compliance Monitoring Data System, owned by the Ministry of Environment and executed by ELY-keskusten sekä TE-toimistojen kehittämis- ja hallintokeskus (KEHA)
PL 1000, 50101 Mikkeli		 Enterprise Register based on permits according to the Articles 9 and 10 of the WFD
Covers i.e. generation and treatment of waste
Updated frequently, covers most of the permitted actions
Business Register of Statistics Finland Utilisation of Business Register for the identification of (selected) waste treatment operations
The Finnish Transport Safety Agency (Trafi)Vehicle Register) Register of vehicles decommissioned from traffic was used to determine the amount of treated ELVs
The Mining and Quarrying register Register by The Finnish Safety and Chemicals Agency (Tukes) Register includes mining and quarrying premises in Finland. Data are collected annually, by type of mining and mineral. Includes information about treatment of mineral wastes
Population Register Centre's Building and Dwelling Register Register includes information about the amount of households.
   
   

 

Data collection on treated quantities:
 Only register data used, not direct data collection by Statistiscs Finland

 

Determination of treated waste quantities
Description of data sources and methods by treatment category
Item 1
Incineration
(R1)		  
Item 2
Incineration
(D10)		  
Item 3a
Recycling
(R2 – R11)		  
Item 3b
Backfilling		  
Item 4
Landfilling
(D1, D5, D12)		  
Item 5
Other disposal
(D2,D3,D4, D6,D7)		  

Description of data sources and methods by treatment categories

Item 1 Incineration
(R1)

Item 2 Incineration (D10)

Item 3a
Recycling
(R2 – R11)

Item 3b
Backfilling

Item 4
Landfilling
(D1, D5, D12)

The VAHTI/YLVA Compliance Monitoring Data System
-Enterprise Register based on permits according to the Articles 9 and 10 of the WFD
-By waste law
-Waste treatment plants’ obligation to inform
-Annually, by NACE and LoW

The HSY Helsinki Region Environmental Services Authority
-Survey on Municipal waste generation on metropolitan area
Center for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment of Pirkanmaa
-Co-ordinating producer responsibility
-Collecting data of waste under producer responsibility legislation (sometimes Statistic Finland receives on voluntary basis aggregated reports straight from producer responsibilty organisatons)
-Annually

 

 

 The Finnish Safety and Chemicals Agency (Tukes).
-Register of mineral waste from mining and quarrying
-By Mining Act
-Obligation to inform annually, by type of mining and mineral

 

 

The Finnish Transport Safety Agency (Trafi) Motor Vehicle Register
-Register for decommissioned from traffic vehicles
-Annually, by type of cars

 

 

 

Data collection on capacity of treatment facilities:

The capacity information is partially based on an inquiry conducted by the Ministry of the Environment among the Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment. The Regional Environment Centres are permitting authorities and have some information about types and capacities of treatment facilities. Unfortunately data is difficult to obtain, and doesn't completely fit the reporting obligations by WStatReg. FEI (SYKE) provides some information on landfills but that information also doesn't fit entirely to the reporting obligations.

Most data on capacities is collected from the VAHTI/YLVA administrative register, covering almost entirely professional waste treatment. Facilities are not classified according the treatment type and capacity in any usable register and this makes it very difficult to identify and count the numbers and capacities. YLVA annual treatment data can be used in combination with issued environmental permits written descriptions of the types of waste treatment the facilities run. Max. waste treatment capacities are not often determined and not updated annually and capacities must be often modelled from data of max annual input of different materials to faclities processes and using conversions from energy units to mass-units and volumes based on average energy per weight or volume assumptions.

At this stage, we don't have a very detailed and in all aspects updated data on the capacity of different kind of waste treatment facilities.
3.2. Frequency of data collection

Data is collected annually for national statistical purposes.
3.3. Data collection

Not regular own data collection on waste by Statistics Finland.
3.4. Data validation

Structural data validation for register data when received. YLVA-register data is transferred to our integrated environmental statistics application and database YEIS, where different validation rules can be applied. Analysing and correcting errors in the individual facilities data is done regularly. Validation rules (with additional  more detailed comparisons on facility, enterprice or regionanal level) are automated on facility data level or done manually (comparing after aggregating totals):

1. comparison over time
2. relation generation / treatment (totals)
3. implausible combinations treatment operation / waste categories
3.5. Data compilation
Wet matter for sludges
  03.2
Industrial effluent sludges		 03.2
Industrial effluent sludges		 11
Common sludges

12.7
Dredging spoils
non-hazardous hazardous non-hazardous non-hazardous
amounts        

Environmental authorities VAHTI/YLVA-register contains data on average annual dry matter percentage for each sludge-entry from each treatment facility, and this information is used at individual waste-entry-level when compiling statistics. For that reason we normally don't calculate wet matter for sludges at all. Or we calculate but we have not inspected and validated the wet weight counts on individual observation level, so the possible counts for aggregates are not taken reliable. For some observations it't obvious that the reporter has given only the dry weight information, not the wet weight one.
3.6. Adjustment

[not requested]


4. Quality management Top
4.1. Quality assurance

Not available.
New concept added with the migration to SIMS 2.0.
Information (content) will be available after the next collection.
4.2. Quality management - assessment

[not requested]


5. Relevance Top
5.1. Relevance - User Needs

[not requested]
5.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction

[not requested]
5.3. Completeness
Description of missing data in data set 1 on waste generation

Description of missing data
(waste category, economic activity, ..)

Explanation

How to overcome the deficit
     
     
     

 No missing data in set 1.

Description of missing data in data sets 2 and 3 on treated waste quantities and capacities

Description of missing data
(waste category, treatment category, region, ..)

Explanation

How to overcome the deficit
     
     
     

Finland has no administrative register with proper reporting abilities of number and capacity of treatment facilities. Finland is in progress to update our environmental authorities VAHTI/YLVA-register to fulfill this task.
5.3.1. Data completeness - rate

[not requested]


6. Accuracy and reliability Top
6.1. Accuracy - overall

[not requested]
6.2. Sampling error

Statistics Finland has not used sampling methods for compiling waste statistics.
6.2.1. Sampling error - indicators
Totals and coefficients of variation for the key aggregates

Key aggregate

Amount of hazardous waste

[1000 tonnes]

Amount of Non-hazardous waste

[1000 tonnes]

Coefficient of variation hazardous waste
[%]

Coefficient of variation non-hazardous waste
[%]
Waste generation

Waste generated by households

        

Waste generated by economic activities

        
Waste treatment

Waste used as fuel (item 1) (incineration in the form of recovery R1)

        

Waste incinerated (item 2) (incineration as disposal D10)

        

Waste recovered (R2 – R11), incl. backfilling (item 3a and 3b)

        

Waste disposed of by landfilling (D1, D5, D12) and other disposal operations (D2, D3, D4, D6, D7) (item 4 and 5)

        

Statistics Finland has not used sampling methods for compiling waste statistics.
6.3. Non-sampling error

-
6.3.1. Coverage error
Coverage of waste statistics with regard to extractive waste1)

Coverage

Topsoil

Overburden

Waste-rock

Tailings
(non-haz.)

Completely covered

    x  x  x

Partially covered

 x      

Generally excluded

        

1)Please mark with an X whether the listed materials are completely covered, partially covered or generally excluded from waste statistics.

 

Description of issues related to the allocation of mining waste to NACE section B or C:
 The production of some industrial minerals, such as soap stones is included in manufacturing (NACE C). The mining wastes generated in these enterprises are classified and reported under the mining and quarrying sector (NACE B).

 

Annex I on waste generation:
 

3  B (05-09)            Register data on mining and quarrying are quite precise but some observations need additional work to distinguish excluded and included materials.

4-13 C (10-33)        Administrative register data on waste together with estimations via figures on outputs of manufacturing (Business Register) achieve very near to 100% coverage.

14  D (35)               Administrative register data on waste give an accurate picture of combustion wastes.

15,16 E (36-38)       All enterprises and facilities in these branches need environmental permits, therefore their wastes are measured accurately.

17  F (41-43)          Estimations of surplus soil from construction a bit inaccurate because based on old studies on the share of surplus soil proportion among transported soils.

18  G-X (45-99)       Indirect determination via register data on waste treatment captures nearly 100% of commercial wastes.

19  G (4677)            There are only very few significant enterprises in this category and if they are waste treatment facilities, they report to administrative registers.

20   HH                   Indirect determination via register data on waste treatment captures nearly 100% of  household wastes and 100% of the population. Home composting included and estimated.

 

Annex II on waste treatment:

Description of how the amount of commercial waste from enterprises/shops included in household waste is assessed. What method is used to estimate pure household waste:

Differentiation in waste between households and commercial activities is made using the survey of the HSY Helsinki Region Environmental Services Authority) and modelling. 

Before differentiation between services and households, the volume of municipal waste from the other sectors is deducted from the total by using direct information on generation. Total municipal waste is included in to the collected amounts of all waste and identified as municipal waste based on origin and LoW-code.

The calculation is using direct information on generation from other sectors and treatment facilities from the VAHTI/YLVA register and producer responsibility data from regional environmental authorities. The survey of the HSY Helsinki Region Environmental Services Authority concerning municipal waste covers about one-quarter of the Finnish population. In this survey, accurate percentage shares are calculated for different services and households. These shares are applied to the whole country level by modelling taking into account population densities and volumes of diferent service acticities by area. The survey must be repeated at intervals in order to get accurate results in future.

 

 

Coverage of waste treatment facilities and criteria for exclusion
 

No. of facilities included

No. of facilities excluded

Reasons for exclusion of facilities
and other comments

Item 1Incineration (R1)

  54  0  

Item 2Incineration (D10)

  7  0  

Item 3a Recycling (R2-R11)

  326  0  

Item 3b Backfilling

 27  0  

Item 4 Landfilling
(D1, D5, D12)

  125  0  

Item 5 Other disposal
(D2, D3, D4, D6, D7)

  30 (not updated, 2012 count)  0  

 Counts represent year 2018 situation, but no additional exclusions are made for 2020 data. We expect only small changes to numbers of facilities when we can update the data to represent better the 2020 situation.

Commercial waste inclusion: Main problems description:
   
6.3.1.1. Over-coverage - rate

[not requested]
6.3.1.2. Common units - proportion

[not requested]
6.3.2. Measurement error

The used statistical reporting units for the generation and recovery in the main register data, i.e. 'The VAHTI/YLVA Compliance Monitoring Data System' are loading points.  They figure the input and output of waste streams of individual facilities or processes inside a facility or facility area. Using it's Business Register Statistics Finland has aggregated them to the level of KAUs or LKAUs. Auxiliary variables have then been used in the compiling of statistics, which has proven very useful. Loading points, LKAUs and KAUs have been used in the branches of manufacturing, electricity supply and environmental management. Taking into account these points, measurement errors have been assumed by Statistics Finland to have remained minor. It has also been assumed that there are no incentives for the reporting units or for the administration itself to over-report. Statistics Finland has made a number of adjustments to the administrative register data, such as weighting, to ensure their suitability for waste statistics.

The statistical units in the Register of Mining and Quarrying are kind-of-activity-units. It is difficult to solve this question about a statistical unit in agriculture, forestry and construction and likewise, their populations are difficult to specify which is why accuracy and reliability could be uncertain. Almost all waste from agriculture and forestry are excluded from the scope of WFD and waste statistics, and the part included like household waste from the farms is represented among the municipal waste counts.

For recovery of metal waste we have found difficulties to measure waste amounts generated and recycled because there is some variation how pretreatment facilities for metal scrap report their input and output, as waste or as product, so the lack of proper application of the end of waste procedure causes problems like how to determine metal waste streams. This particular problem is discussed with environmental authorities and they have instructed more precisely how to report metal wastes, so this problem may have be solved in the near future. Until then we have made an assumption that metal waste received for pretreatment prior continuing it's way to melting processes, is counted as recycled via end of waste procedure even if the procedure has not been notified to environmental authorities. This may cause some measurement error but works better than rejecting these wastestreams not identified properly.
6.3.3. Non response error

Surveys or questionnaires were not used.
6.3.3.1. Unit non-response - rate

[not requested]
6.3.3.2. Item non-response - rate

[not requested]
6.3.4. Processing error

Background variables (metadata for facilities) and comparison with reference data like (timeseries, other facilities in same economic activity) were used if available.

Allmost all loading points in VAHTI are classified into appropriate NACE-categories. Transition to YLVA-register has caused some inaccuracy but using manual identification between the facility and it's NACE has solved this problem quite well.

Municipal waste include waste from households, services and other businesses but separation of origin from other sources than households and services is made while receiving waste to the treatment facilities. Record is kept by using VAHTI/YLVA monitoring system annual data.

For sludges there is some missing values for dry matter, in such cases the drymatter is estimated by using data from previous years drymatter or using same type of waste and facility averages.
6.3.4.1. Imputation - rate

[not requested]
6.3.5. Model assumption error

Estimation the waste amount of NACE  DA - DN (Manufacturing) by model (refer to table 6.1 in Part 1)

Variables:

  1. Volume of waste generation by branch of manufacturing and List of Waste.
  2. Quantity of sold and total outputs of manufacturing by branch.

          Variable 2 describes the total manufactured output in Finland. The production of the enterprises for which waste information is contained in VAHTI/YLVA is deducted from this quantity.

          The primarily register data on manufacturing industry in VAHTI/YLVA are multiplied by these differences.

          The results obtained this way are very accurate, perhaps the best available, because there is no need to use the values of production in the estimations.

NOTE:

In the estimation of the waste amount of NACE  F (Construction), VAHTI register data is used. Generation is assumed to be the same as the amount received to treatment facilities. Same method as with municipal waste collected.

In addition transport statistics were used to determine the amount of mineral waste generated by Construction sector

Sensitivity analysis hasn’t been implemented. During last years we haven't updated the used weights, due changes in all over the system providing relevant data for waste statistics. Renovation of the whole production system of waste statistics, by Statistics Finland and by our Ministry of environment,  takes all our effort and will produce a new different production system with new methods to collect data and model waste streams.
6.4. Seasonal adjustment

[not requested]
6.5. Data revision - policy

[not requested]

[not requested]
6.6. Data revision - practice

[not requested]
6.6.1. Data revision - average size

[not requested]


7. Timeliness and punctuality Top
7.1. Timeliness

-
7.1.1. Time lag - first result

[not requested]
7.1.2. Time lag - final result

[not requested]
7.2. Punctuality
Explanation for any delay in data transmission and measures taken to avoid delays in future:
 -We have simultaneously going on renovals of waste data collecting, analyzing and reporting processes inside environmental bodies and Statistics Finland. Mostly due the new WFD reporting obligations and other EU-related reporting obligations. This causes some difficulties and delays until all necessary systems are fully renoved and can co-operate fluently. All this work is targeted to provide, in time, better waste statistics in the future. Some legislative changes are done or coming in to the force by environmental authorities in order to provide data for waste statistics earlier compared to recent situation. The lack of proper registerbased information on the capacities and numbers of different treatment facilities is a problem but we try to solve it somehow in the future. Now the compiling of statistics on the facilities takes a lot of manual work, searching and reading of documents and making assumptions and this weakens our ability to provide proper reporting data in time.
7.2.1. Punctuality - delivery and publication

[not requested]


8. Coherence and comparability Top
8.1. Comparability - geographical
Description of classifications used
 

Name of
classification(s) used

Description of the classification(s)
(in particular compatibility with WStatR requirements)

Economic activities

  NACE 2008 and natuonal 5-digit TOL2008 implementation of the NACE  National economic activity classification TOL2008 is fully compatible.

Waste types

  LoW2002 and updated EWC-Stat Rev4. National implementation of the LoW2002 with some splittings of LoW-entries to sub-entries in environmantal authorities YLVA-register data.  National implementation Of the LoW2002 is fully compatible.

Recovery and treatment operations

  R/D codes with national separate subcodes for pretreatment and actual recovery/disposal  National separation of R/D codes to pretreatment and actual treatment subcodes enables better compability to the reporting obligations than the simple use of WFD's R/D codes.
8.1.1. Asymmetry for mirror flow statistics - coefficient

[not requested]
8.2. Comparability - over time
 Changes compared with previous years:

Nonhazardous wood or plant tissue waste direct from NACE A is excluded from statistics as WFD requires. This causes a remarkable change to waste amounts in our statistics and time series.

The share of incinerated municipal waste has increased.

Capacity of waste incineration has risen, especially in municipal waste.

 

 Foreseen changes:
 

 

 Specific issues concerning the data collection on the current reference year:

Environmental register data from the new YLVA-register is a bit different compared to previous VAHTI-register data and this caused some identification of NACE difficulties, taking effort manually to identify some parts of the register data. Also lag of some dry weight information needed to be corrected. Some uncertainty on how treatment losses are handled in counts reported as recycled. New municipal waste calculation rules effect to the municipal waste and construction waste counts, but we can't yet analyze the magnitude of the affect.

 

 Detailed description and consequences:
 All 15 Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment operate by the same instructions, instruments and programmes, and load modules. They also use the same waste, treatment and activity classifications and statistical units. The data are fully comparable between. In this respect, the definitions, data collection possibilities and comparability will continue over time.
8.2.1. Length of comparable time series

[not requested]
8.3. Coherence - cross domain
Environment statistics:
 

 

Socio-economic statistics:
 

The data reported under the Regulation on waste statistics will be reported and disseminated nationally, with the exception of the data that are confidential. Confidentiality restricts national dissemination in respect of only very few waste items, if any.

The same NACE classification of economic activities is used in waste statistics, environment-economic accounting, national accounting, and in business statistics and the Business Register that covers practically all enterprises in Finland. In most cases, NACE codes can be identified for statistical units reporting their waste to the environmental register (VAHTI/YLVA), or NACE codes for these units already exist in the environmental register. A relatively high coherence makes it possible to link waste statistics, waste accounts and physical input-output approaches by branch of industry.

The structural indicator on the generation and treatment of municipal waste is fully coherent with waste statistics data complying with the regulation on waste statistics. Calculation method chosen affects the recycling rate of the municipal waste according WFD reporting rules. Instead of using certain waste streams in calculating recycling amounts, as WFD reporting rules allow, WStartReg and OECD-Eurostat JQ reportings take in to account all municipal waste recycled and generated. This may cause some confusion if one tries to compare recyclingrates derived from different statistics. This is aplicable allso between the WFD landfill rate and other statistics landfill counts, WFD reporting obligations force to report under landfilling allso other types of disposal operations and thus landfill counts between different reportings are not comparable.

There are lag of coherence between statistics on trade and waste statistics due used classifications like CN and LoW. Many individual CN-codes may contain or not contain waste.

To improve the coherence of waste statistics complying with the regulation with other national waste statistics, further work is required to clarify differences between e.g. internal recycling and the definition of waste in the regulation and in national waste statistics. This applies to reporting according to EU directives on waste.

[not requested]
8.4. Coherence - sub annual and annual statistics

[not requested]
8.5. Coherence - National Accounts

[not requested]
8.6. Coherence - internal

[not requested]


9. Accessibility and clarity Top
9.1. Dissemination format - News release

[not requested]
9.2. Dissemination format - Publications

[not requested]
9.3. Dissemination format - online database

[not requested]
9.3.1. Data tables - consultations

[not requested]
9.4. Dissemination format - microdata access

[not requested]
9.5. Dissemination format - other

[not requested]
9.6. Documentation on methodology

[not requested]
9.7. Quality management - documentation

[not requested]
9.7.1. Metadata completeness - rate

[not requested]
9.7.2. Metadata - consultations

[not requested]


10. Cost and Burden Top
Burden on respondents

Survey /
Source

Type and total number of respondents

Actual no. of respondents

Time required for response

Measures taken to minimise the burden
         
         
         

A very limited number of additional questions are asked for statistical purposes of the respondents of administrative sources. This is because the List of Waste of the EU has already been in use in Finland for several years. Some additional burden is caused to the respondents by instructions and requests for improved checking of the given data, and occasional checking of data by e-mail or phone. The time required by these additional burdens has not been estimated direct, but the conclusion can be made that in general the additional burden caused by the regulation on waste statistics is not very significant because register data already collected is used widely.


11. Confidentiality Top
11.1. Confidentiality - policy
Description of the relevant confidentiality policy:
The national reporting organisation consists of Statistics Finland and the Finnish Environment Institute. These two organisations have a mutual agreement concerning the dissemination and compilation of waste information and statistics. However, Statistics Finland carries the responsibility for all statistics. Statistics Finland also disseminates all new statistics. It follows the normal confidentiality policy and practices with regard to the Finnish Environment Institute.
11.2. Confidentiality - data treatment

[not requested]


12. Comment Top

-


Related metadata Top


Annexes Top