1.1. Contact organisation
Statistics Finland
1.2. Contact organisation unit
Energy, environment and greenhouse gases
1.3. Contact name
Confidential because of GDPR
1.4. Contact person function
Confidential because of GDPR
1.5. Contact mail address
00022 TILASTOKESKUS
1.6. Contact email address
Confidential because of GDPR
1.7. Contact phone number
Confidential because of GDPR
1.8. Contact fax number
Confidential because of GDPR
2.1. Metadata last certified
17 March 2026
2.2. Metadata last posted
17 March 2026
2.3. Metadata last update
17 March 2026
3.1. Data description
Data is related to reporting of waste generation and treatment in country according Waste Statistics Regulation's reporting obligations
3.1.1. Description of the parties involved in the data collection
Data sources and legal basis of data collection:
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. KIVO Finland represents the waste management companies owned by municipalities in Finland and 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 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. Providing statistics for environmental authorities in orded to assist WFD -related reporting in compliance with WStatR reporting and vice versa. |
| The Finnish Environment Institute |
Monitoring the state of the environment. Monitors international waste shipments and acts as the correspondent pursuant to the Waste Shipment Regulation. Co-operates with Statistics Finland especially with topics related to municipal waste and waste accounting. Provides data from it's waste transport register (transport of certain wastestreams inside the country). |
| 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. centre has a register for different producer responsibility orgations and their dutied. Calculates the own resource data for not recycled plastic packaging waste.
|
| The Natural Resources Institute of Finland LUKE |
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. They also register professional waste carriers and transporters in the waste management database.
|
| 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 in Helsinki metropolitan area. |
| Statistics and research Åland (ÅSUB) |
Compiling Åland autonomous area statistics and ÅSUBs own quality report. |
| Suomen Keräyspaperi Tuottajayhteisö Oy |
This enterprise is authorized to organize the collection of printing and writing paper. |
| 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. |
3.1.2. Description of methods determining waste generation
Data set 1: waste generation by waste category (EWC-Stat) and economic activities (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 -register and included in the register 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.
| Waste item | Source | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | _..._ | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | |
| 1 | see above | |||||||||
| 2 | ||||||||||
| 3 | ||||||||||
| _..._ | ||||||||||
| 49 | ||||||||||
| 50 | ||||||||||
| 51 | ||||||||||
The sources are the businesses (18 NACE groupings) and households which generate waste. The waste types are the 51 waste categories for which data is required under the Waste Statistics Regulation.
3.1.3. Estimation of waste generation in the economy on the basis of a sample survey
Determination of waste generation by (sample) survey
Not any survey by Statistics Finland.
| Description of the sample survey | Item 1 (NACE A) |
Item 2 (NACE B) |
… | Item 18 (NACE 46.77) |
Total | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | … | n | 1 | 2 | … | n | … | 1 | 2 | … | n | |||
| 1 | Number of statistical units per stratum and item in accordance with the available register(s) | not applicable | … … … |
||||||||||||
| 2 | Number of statistical units selected for a sample survey and questionnaires sent out | ||||||||||||||
| 3 | Number of non-respoinses (no replies provided; replies are unusable; units are not identifiable) | ||||||||||||||
| 4 | Part of 3: Quantity of data registered incorrectly (statistical units which do not exist, statistical units which cannot be identified) | ||||||||||||||
| 5 | Number of units (statistical units) used to calculate totals | ||||||||||||||
| 6 | Factor for weighting | ||||||||||||||
3.1.4. Estimation of waste generation in the economy on the basis of information on waste treatment
Look at 3.1.2. and 3.1.5. Same registerdata and same methods used for calculating generation and treatment. All facilities in the register data report both their own waste generation and treatment of waste generated by themselves or received from elsewhere. Also facilities report waste amounts sent to other facilities for treatment. Depending on wastestream different calculating rules are applied but the facilitydata available is the same for generation and treatment. For municipal waste and C&D waste the generation is estimated using data of received waste to treatment facilities.
| Description of the method | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scope of indirect determination (waste types and economic sectors covered) | 3.1.2. and 3.1.5 | |||||
| 2 | Number of waste treatment facilities selected by items: | INC R1 | INC D10 | RECYC | BACK | DISPO I | DISPO II |
| 3 | Method(s) applied for differentiation by waste sources: | ||||||
| 4 | Restriction of the applied methods: | ||||||
| 4.1 | Waste streams not covered: | ||||||
| 4.2 | Problems of source attachment: | ||||||
| 4.3 | Other problems: | ||||||
This table shows the proportion of waste generation covered by indirect calculation on the basis of waste treatment and how the method is applied.
Row 1 indicates what proportion of waste generation is covered by information concerning waste treatment. This can be done by referring to selected parts of the economy or to selected waste streams. This should be consistent with the table in the concept 3.1.2.
Row 2 identifies the number of waste treatment facilities included in the calculation. The numbers are expected to be equal to the number of facilities in the table in the concept 3.1.8 . Any differences should be explained.
Rows 3 to 4.3 provide a more detailed description of the methods applied. Does the original data set contain quantities of waste classified by the List of waste, by the European waste Classification for Statistics (EWC-Stat) or by a national classification? On what basis is waste which has been treated transformed into waste which has been generated? How are non-specific wastes distributed across sources and how are imported wastes excluded?
3.1.5. Description of the estimation of waste generation in the economy on the basis of administrative sources
Determination of waste generation in the economy on the basis of administrative sources
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'. 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 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 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, YLVA includes information on treated amounts of manure. Almost all waste from agriculture and forestry are excluded from the scope of the waste statistics due the waste framework directive exclusions. Municipal waste from agriculture is included in to household sector waste.
NACE Rev. 2 Division 03
Public institutions (registrars/supervisory bodies):
YLVA register
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 YLVA (see (1) A)
NACE Rev. 2 Divisions 10–33
Public institutions (registrars/supervisory bodies):
The administrative register data of YLVA (see (1) A).
Estimation model for small enterprises (weighting up using coefficients).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. Just now coefficients for weighting up are outdated, new system called PÄRE is under construction.
NACE Rev. 2 Division 35
Public institutions (registrars/supervisory bodies):
The administrative register data of YLVA (see (1) A).
Packaging waste information from producer responsibility organisations.
NACE Rev. 2 Divisions 36–38
Public institutions (registrars/supervisory bodies):
The administrative register data of YLVA (see (1) A).
NACE Rev. 2 Divisions 41– 43
Public institutions (registrars/supervisory bodies):
The administrative register data of YLVA (see (1) A).
Statistics Finland transport statistics on transported surplus soil
NACE Rev. 2 Divisions 45 – 99
Public institutions (registrars/supervisory bodies):
The administrative register data of YLVA (see (1) A). Indirect determination via waste treatment data. The 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 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.
NACE Rev. 2 Division 4677
Public institutions (registrars/supervisory bodies):
The administrative register data of YLVA (see (1) A).
HH, households
Public institutions (registrars/supervisory bodies):
The administrative register data of YLVA (see (1) A). Indirect determination via waste treatment data. The 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 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.
Homecomposting is estimated using Syke (FEI) provided counts for homecomposting, based on surveys and modelling.
Estimation of waste generation in the economy on the basis of models or other methods
| Description of the models | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scope of the model (waste types and economic sectors covered) | Not available |
| 2 | Basic data for the estimations (production figures etc.) | |
| 3 | Description of the model and the factors applied | |
| 4 | Routines applied or foreseen to guarantee sufficient quality (periodical revision of factors, focused surveys for verification etc.) | |
| Description of the information sources | ||
| 5 | Scope for the OTHER information sources (waste types and economic sectors covered) | |
| 6 | Description of the other information source which is not fitting to the type of information sources mentioned above | |
This table is similar to the table in the concept 3.1.4 in that it shows the proportion of waste generation covered by other methods and how these methods are applied. Within this table, a distinction is made between methods based on modelling and other methods.
3.1.6. Determination methods for waste generated by households
HH, households
Public institutions (registrars/supervisory bodies):
The administrative register data of YLVA (see (1) A). Indirect determination via waste treatment data. The 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 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.
Homecomposting is estimated using Syke (FEI) provided counts for homecomposting, based on surveys and modelling.
| 1 | Indirect determination via waste collection | |
|---|---|---|
| 1.1 | Description of reporting unit applied (waste collections, municipalities) | Not available |
| 1.2 | Description of the reporting system (regular survey on waste collection, utilisation of administrative sources) | |
| 1.3 | Waste types covered | |
| 1.4 | Survey characteristics (1.4a – 1.4d) | |
| a) Total no. of collectors / municipalities (population size) | ||
| b) No of collectors / municipalities selected for survey | ||
| c) No of responses used for the calculation of the totals | ||
| d) Factor for weighting | ||
| 1.5 | Method applied for the differentiation between the sources household and commercial activities | |
| 1.6 | Percentage of waste from commercial activities by waste types | |
| 2 | Indirect determination via waste treatment | |
| 2.1 | Specification of waste treatment facilities selected | |
| 2.2 | Waste types covered | |
| 2.3 | Method applied for the differentiation between the sources household and commercial activities | |
| 2.4 | Percentage of waste from commercial activities by waste types |
|
This table focuses on the methods applied in order to estimate the amount of waste generated by households. The various methods are identified in different parts of the table. An important distinction is made between waste generated by households, on the one hand, and waste generated by businesses, i.e. ‘commercial contamination’, on the other.
3.1.7. Description of data sources and methods by treatment category
General description of methodology
Identification of the relevant waste treatment facilities:
The relevant waste treatment facilities are identified via 'The YLVA Compliance Monitoring Data System’. The 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 YLVA register. For producer responsibility data there is not need for identifying individual facuilities. Producer responsibility organisations provide The Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment of Pirkanmaa annual facility data and the center compiles aggregated statistics for them. This aggregated data is used by Statistic Finland as an additional and cross check data for producer responsibility wastes.
Determination of treated waste quantities:
Look at 3.1.2. and 3.1.4. and 3.1.5. Same register data and same methods used for calculating generation and treatment. All facilities in the register data report both their own waste generation and treatment of waste generated by themselves or received from elsewhere. Also facilities report waste amounts sent to other facilities for treatment. data enables avoiding doublecounting. Depending on waste stream different calculating rules are applied but the facilitydata available is the same for generation and treatment.
Estimation of the amount and treatment 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.
For municipal waste and C&D waste the generation is estimated using data of received waste to treatment facilities.
R/D codes used in the registerdata with some more detailed additional subcodes for recovery in order to separate preparation for reuse, backfilling and pretreatment from other treatments.
Data on the number and capacity of treatment facilities:
This information is not updated or collected annually, but the environmental permits state somehow often limit values for these capacities.
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 estimated from the 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 in some level 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.
| Item 1 Incineration (R1) |
see above |
|---|---|
| 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) |
3.1.8. 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 1 Incineration (R1) |
54 | 0 | |
| Item 2 Incineration (D10) |
7 | 0 | |
| Item 3a Recycling (R2 – R11) |
329 | 0 | |
| Item 3b Backfilling |
27 | 0 | |
| Item 4 Landfilling (D1, D5, D12) |
125 | 0 | |
| Item 5 Other disposal (D2,D3,D4, D6,D7) |
30 | 0 |
Counts represent year 2018 situation, but no additional exclusions are made for 2022 data. We expect only small changes to numbers of facilities when we can update the data to represent better the 2022 situation. Accordin a present study currently 11 main permitted waste incineration plants for municipal waste are in operation, whereby their waste incineration capacity has increased to 2.1 Mtons/a. These are energy recovery facilities providing heat and electricity to municipalities.
This table identifies the number of waste treatment facilities, which are included in or excluded from the compilation of data. There can be several reasons for excluding waste treatment operations: because they treat only internal waste, because they are pre-treatment facilities or because the capacity is below a nationally defined threshold, etc.
3.1.9. Registers used for identification of treatment operations
| Identification of register(s) used (name; responsible institution) | Description of register(s) (coverage: frequency and procedure of updating, etc.) |
|---|---|
| The 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 |
| 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. |
This table gives details of the registers used to gather information on waste treatment.
3.2. Classification system
Economic activity -NACE
Waste classification -LoW in data, EWCStat aggregates in reporting tables
Waste treatment -in data WFD's R/D-codes with more detailed subdivision between pretreatment and treatment and adding missing reporting classes to WFD's R/D codes to enable reporting according WFD requirements. For WStatR reporting R/D aggregates of WStatR.
For treatmentfacility level regional counts allso NUTS using transposition key from municipal level municipality-code in register data.
3.2.1. Description of classification used
| Name of classifications used | Description of the classification(s) | |
|---|---|---|
| Economic activities | NACE | |
| Waste types | LoW | |
| Recovery and treatment operations | WFD's R/D codes and national subcodes |
The compatibility of the classifications used with WStatR requirements is full.
3.3. Coverage - sector
Waste generation and treatment:
- B (05-09) Register data on mining and quarrying are quite precise but some observations need additional work to distinguish excluded and included materials.
- 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.
- D (35) Administrative register data on waste give an accurate picture of combustion wastes.
- E (36-38) All enterprises and facilities in these branches need environmental permits, therefore their wastes are measured accurately.
- 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.
- G-X (45-99) Indirect determination via register data on waste treatment captures nearly 100% of commercial wastes.
- 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.
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
Not a survey data, just a register data covering most of industry and all significant waste management facilities.
3.5. Statistical unit
Administrative register data on waste is based on a statistical unit covered by an environment permit of a facility or industrial facility aggregate and typically consists of one company's one LKAU. It can contain many companies many LKAU's. Register data is connected to Statistics Finland's business registers LKAU-level identified NACE information for enabling the reporting according WStatR NACE-aggregates.
3.6. Statistical population
Waste generated inside of Finland's geographic area
3.7. Reference area
Finland and waste generated in Finland but treated everywhere abroad
3.8. Coverage - Time
One calendar year of the reference period
3.9. Base period
Not used.
Mass in tonnes. Mass of waste is presented as wet weight or dry weight depending WStatR reporting obligations.
Calendar year. Last one is 2022.
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
Statistics Finland mandate to compile waste statistics and collect data by different methods and utilise existing register data is based on national law: no 23 April 2004/280
6.2. Institutional Mandate - data sharing
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 by law to produce data continuously.
Look at table in 3.1.1. Description of the parties involved in the data collection
7.1. Confidentiality - policy
Finnish statistical act and other national legislation concerning the execution of duties of governement officials which are mentioned and referred in that act, 23 April 2004 and amendments, reference no: 280/2004
7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
Previous point 7.1 mentioned legislation is applied in practice via Statistics Finlands own guidelines and practises which allso incorporate the EU's statistical code of practice.
8.1. Release calendar
According reporting requirements
8.2. Release calendar access
Not applicable.
8.3. Release policy - user access
Following Statistics Finland publication policy. Publication calendar is availabe in the internet. Release of data simultaneously to all users using our web based publicating tool.
Annual relase of waste statistics.
10.1. Dissemination format - News release
Not applicable
10.2. Dissemination format - Publications
Annual publication via our web based publicating system. Link to last publication:
10.3. Dissemination format - online database
Online database StatFin contains aggregated tables for generation and treatment.
10.3.1. Data tables - consultations
information not available
10.4. Dissemination format - microdata access
not applicable
10.5. Dissemination format - other
not applicable
10.5.1. Metadata - consultations
not information
10.6. Documentation on methodology
Documentation of waste statistics publications by Statistics Finland:
website of National Statistics Institutes
10.6.1. Metadata completeness - rate
For generation and treatment, near complete.
10.7. Quality management - documentation
Not specific documentation on that item, look at descriptions linked to the statistics publications.
Documentation of waste statistics publications by Statistics Finland:
11.1. Quality assurance
Not specific documentation on that item, look at descriptions linked to the statistics publications.
Documentation of waste statistics publications by Statistics Finland:
on website of Statistics Finland
11.2. Quality management - assessment
Not specific documentation on that item, look at descriptions linked to the statistics publications.
Documentation of waste statistics publications by Statistics Finland:
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
Not specific documentation on that item, look at descriptions linked to the statistics publications.
Documentation of waste statistics publications by Statistics Finland:
National publications and our customer service for more specific data inquiries gather most user needs.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
not data available
12.3. Completeness
Generation and treatment, very good, for facility number and capacity data we don't have any good register data available. Changes under work for landfill data.
12.3.1. Data completeness - rate
for generation and treatment, almosta complete. Gaps in agriculture.
12.3.2. Description of missing data in the waste generation dataset
| Description of missing data in data set 1 on waste generation (waste category, economic activity, ..) |
Explanation | How to overcome the deficit |
|---|---|---|
| NACE Agriculture | Almost all animal and vegetal waste is excluded according the reporting obligations. Farms are also households typically in Finland and their municipal waste is included under households. Many their wastes are also counted under waste management acticities like wholesale of scrap, like some equipment etc, so the apparent missing of data is not the whole case. We just can't allocate these small amounts of non animal and vegetal and non municipal waste streams to agriculture. And if we lack something, we don't have data describing the whole agricultural waste to find out that possible but small amount. | In YLVA-administrative register data there is some information on agricultural waste, but we don't know the coverage of that part comparable to the universe, national total. In order to develope some estimation method one needs additional data collection from farms and it is out of our recent resources. |
12.3.3. Description of missing data in datasets on treated waste and quantities and capacities of facilities
We don't have any method for calculating the capacities of facilities. We don't have any national official register data on facilities types or capacities. There are now added information for landfill capacities in the YLVA administrative register and in the furure data collections we can count types and capacities for landfills, but other type of facilitied solutions are still open.
For number of facilities the problem is also that we don't know exactly how to classify a countable facility to be reported. Many facilities run different types of operations. How to deal with them, if we get some info on classifying them according treatment types they run. Anyway we seek solutions but haven't already found any. The best way may be to collect facility type and capacity data to the same YLVA-register as annual waste reports are collected by our environmental authorities, but we haven't proceeded in such a way to solve this problem.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
Very accurate. Only some so called green list wastes treatment abroad may be missed and some non hazardous soil and C&D wastes recovery as construction material on some non permit requiring land construction sites.
13.2. Sampling error
Can't calculate, part of data is received as aggregated data. Overall coverage of register data we use is very good. Not any own survey used.
13.2.1. Sampling error - indicators
Normally: See the table Total and coefficients of variation for the key aggregates in the annex. Because we use partially aggregated data from other sources and don't have own survey we can't calculate these indicators right due lacking information on the aggregated data's source data.
13.3. Non-sampling error
Not applicable.
13.3.1. Coverage error
Not applicable.
13.3.1.1. Over-coverage - rate
Not applicable.
13.3.1.2. Common units - proportion
Not applicable.
13.3.1.3. Comparison of the number of units in the Register of Business and the number of units included in the calculation of the amount of waste generated
Restricted from publication
13.3.1.4. Coverage of waste statistics with regard to extractive waste
| Coverage | Topsoil | Overburden | Waste-rock | Tailings (non-haz.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Completely covered | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Partially covered | ||||
| Generally excluded |
The total coverage of different extractive waste types is defined comparing the answers to the definition of extractive waste covered under the coverage and reporting obligations of the WFD. But there is huge amounts of extractive waste generated and at the same time excluded under the scope of the WFD and thus excluded under the reporting obligations set by WFD and WStaReg. In certain years almost as much as our industrial waste total is also generated as exctractive waste but excluded from our reporting obligations. This discrepancy can be observed when comparing waste statistics to material flow accounting, where these extractive wastes are included. This is a big problem in circular economy politics if data is not comparable and coherent. Because this is a QR for waste statistics we don't give any exact estimation of that amount so called non reported extractive waste, to which these reporting obligations are not applicable.
13.3.1.5. Description of issues related to the allocation of mining waste to NACE section B or C
Environmental authorities register data is collected not by using LKAU or KAU as data unit, and uses different definition and division of activities and datacollection units than statistical data collection uses. The facility definition used in data collection may contain many different LKAU's from different companies. Identification of observation data according LKAU's must be done to register data afterwards by Statistics Finland.
13.3.1.6. Coverage of waste treatment facilities and criteria for exclusion
See table in the concept 3.1.8.
13.3.2. Measurement error
Normal errors existing in administrative data collection. Data validation exists, both automatic or done by human for individual facility data in environmental data collection procedure. Data provider used webtool with validation checks, received data is checked and accepted by regional environmental authotities. Statistics Finland validates and corrects the data also. So measurement errors are validated and corrected by different bodies. Weighing of register data by Statistics Finland has used old coefficients but this is going to be updated in our new production system.
13.3.3. Non response error
Not estimated.
13.3.3.1. Unit non-response - rate
Not estimated, register data collection is very complete because the answering is mandatory.
13.3.3.2. Item non-response - rate
Not estimated, register data collection is very complete because the answering is mandatory.
13.3.4. Processing error
All normal processing errors may exist. But because the register data used is validated by data providers using the validation checks in their data entry tool provided by the environmental authorities, validated by regional environmental authorities receiving the data by facility based inspection and dedicated inspectors familiar wit the inspected facilities, and finally by Statistics Finland when receiving the register data, processing errors are assumed to be tackled well. The share of municipal waste between from households and other sources is based on long term method development and co-oiperation with regional municipal waste collectors and is continuously adapted to available data and developed. So we take the modelling method for the share to be as accurate as possible, in fact quite accurate. Our environmental authorities registerdata has now even better information on the municipal waste counts from manufacturing industry in order to separate non mun. was. from manufacturing processes from mun. was. from canteens and offices.
13.3.5. Model assumption error
For municipal waste share between HH's and services we use modelling based on assumptions of the relation between waste generation and volume of metadata variables of the data units, like available income for households, turnover rate or number of employee years, inflation, number of inhabitants. Metadata used for modelling picked from StatFin's business register and other StatFin official statistics sources. Assumption errors may exist, but we validate the modelling using real regional data in the model, representing over 20% of our population, so we can adjust the model annually to fit that real data based on regional waste collection and activity share.
14.1. Timeliness
Timeliness
The statistics describe the waste generated and treated during one calendar year. Most of the data for each statistical year are obtained by Statistics Finland for the compilation of the statistics approximately ten months after the end of the statistical period.
14.1.1. Time lag - first result
Most of the register data for each statistical year are obtained by Statistics Finland for the compilation of the statistics approximately ten months after the end of the statistical period. The data on municipal waste are published 1.5 months after this date. Some of the source data for producer responsibility reporting will not be finalized until next June, so there is some uncertainty until then.
14.1.2. Time lag - final result
Most of the register data for each statistical year are obtained by Statistics Finland for the compilation of the statistics approximately ten months after the end of the statistical period. The data on municipal waste are published 1.5 months after this date and the entire data on production and consumption waste 18 months after the end of the statistical period. Data is continuously updated until the date on which the statistics are released.
14.2. Punctuality
Punctuality
Compilation of the statistics is hampered by late availability of data used as a basis for the statistics and data of inadequate quality. The register data of the Finnish environmental administration, on which the statistics are largely based, are frequently partially more than 18 months late and also contain errors and inadequacies when received. Some of the administrative data obtained in aggregated form become available shortly before or after the release of the statistics, which means that unofficial preliminary data must be used for the statistics. Deriving the data from existing register data and other data sources would require time-consuming expert work because many checks and corrections cannot be done using automation.
14.2.1. Punctuality - delivery and publication
The data on municipal waste is published first time after 11 months of the end of the statistical period and the entire data on production and consumption waste 18 months after the end of the statistical period.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
The statistics are in accordance with the criteria and definitions set out in the waste statistics regulation and the waste directive of the EU and the data are thus comparable with the statistics published in other EU countries.
15.1.1. Asymmetry for mirror flow statistics - coefficient
not applicable
15.2. Comparability - over time
The waste generation and treatment data are available as mutually comparable tables from 2004 onwards.
Statistics on wood waste have been changed from 2013 onwards to ensure that they can better meet the definitions listed in the waste directive. Logging waste residue is no longer classified as forestry waste and the statistics on industrial wood waste are fully based on the notifications made by enterprises on the generation and treatment of wood waste in the YLVA information system of the Finnish environmental administration.
Compilation of statistics on wholesale and retail waste considered as municipal waste has become more accurate from 2015 onwards, which increases the total amount of waste classified as municipal waste and impact the ratios between different treatment methods.
15.2.1. Length of comparable time series
The waste generation and treatment data are available as mutually comparable tables from 2004 onwards gathering 21 reference periods.
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
The statistics describe the whole economy across industries and households and similar statistics are not compiled elsewhere. The statistics compiled by Statistics Finland are widely used by the Finnish environmental administration as a basis for reports on waste and waste management for international use. In terms of material flows, the producer liability reports on waste subject to producer liability prepared by the Finnish environmental administration have covered smaller amounts of waste than the statistics of Statistics Finland, which cover all types of waste.
15.3.1. Coherence - sub annual and annual statistics
Only annual statistics on waste compiled.
15.3.2. Coherence - National Accounts
The statistics describe the whole economy across industries and households using NACE but reporting aggregates defined by WStatReg.
15.4. Coherence - internal
The waste statistics compiled by Statistics Finland are widely used by the Finnish environmental administration as a basis for reports on waste and waste management for international use (according DG Env. reporting legislation like WFD). Statistics Finland also uses environmental authorities producer responsibility reporting data in it's own statistics as aggregated data source.
Statistics Finland uses register data collected by different authorities and the additional burden and cost is directed not to businesses but to governement registers providing the data in electronic form.
16.1. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not any survey used. |
Not any surveys, register data used. Responders to register data collection in environmental authorities system already have mandatory requirements to provide the data to environmental authorities for their purposes.
17.1. Data revision - policy
Data revisions are published informing the users of our webpages and databases adding notifications to these sources of information.
In some cases we have provided a more detailed information on the reasons behind the revision in co-operation with the boby who's data has been changed and affected so that our statistics were revised.
17.2. Data revision - practice
Data revision practices are defined and described in our publication rules and the publication system includes mechanism to release revisions with proper information of the effect and reasons behind.
17.2.1. Data revision - average size
Can't be defined, so rare and different events.
18.1. Source data
Look at the concept 3.1.1 above. Source data is collected as observation or aggregated form data from many administrative sources reponsible for different register data collection. Statistics Finland does not conduct any own survey on waste statistics.
18.2. Frequency of data collection
Annual data collection.
18.3. Data collection
Statistics Finland uses register data which is provided to Statistics Finland automatically from YLVA register and other registers involved. Updates are available when needed on frequent basis. Aggregated producer responsibility data is provided in pdf or excel format on request.
18.3.1. Description of methods of data collection on capacity of treatment facilities (Dataset FAC: facilities of treatment of waste)
Not available yet. Our national environmental register data has not collected capacity information. The renowed YLVA register now has information on landfill capacity available, so in the next years we can provide the lanfill data.
18.4. 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):
- Comparison over time.
- Relation generation / treatment (totals).
- Implausible combinations treatment operation / waste categories.
18.5. Data compilation
The analysis of the data in the YEIS system only involves the correction of data. In SAS, the inflating of the amount of waste generated to individual manufacturing industries is carried out using fairly old inflation coefficients. It has not been possible to update the coefficients in recent years due to the inadequacies of the old system and changes in the administrative data (VAHTI-YLVA data change in the Finnish environmental administration). The amount of waste generated is inflated and the amount of waste treated is obtained from the data in practically non-inflated form as the data in question are total data. The breakdown of the total amount of municipal waste between households and services is produced by means of modelling. The method is based on more detailed data on the breakdown obtained from the HSY region. The method was originally developed by Ilmo Mäenpää and the background variable data used in it are updated in accordance with the latest available figures.
This section is about collecting data on capacity of treatment facilities:
We don't have data on capacities. For landfills, data will be available in the future, maybe 2024 onwards.
18.5.1. Imputation - rate
We don't use imputation on individual facility or LKAU level, but use inflation coefficients for NACE aggregates.
18.5.2. 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 | Not available |
Environmental authorities 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.
18.5.3. Indicators
| 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 | Not available |
18.6. Adjustment
Data uses almost entirely known classifications with known keys between data collecting and reporting classifications according EU-level requirements.
18.6.1. Seasonal adjustment
We use annual data, not seasonal, not any need for seasonal adjustments.
No comments.
Data is related to reporting of waste generation and treatment in country according Waste Statistics Regulation's reporting obligations
17 March 2026
Not a survey data, just a register data covering most of industry and all significant waste management facilities.
Administrative register data on waste is based on a statistical unit covered by an environment permit of a facility or industrial facility aggregate and typically consists of one company's one LKAU. It can contain many companies many LKAU's. Register data is connected to Statistics Finland's business registers LKAU-level identified NACE information for enabling the reporting according WStatR NACE-aggregates.
Waste generated inside of Finland's geographic area
Finland and waste generated in Finland but treated everywhere abroad
Calendar year. Last one is 2022.
Very accurate. Only some so called green list wastes treatment abroad may be missed and some non hazardous soil and C&D wastes recovery as construction material on some non permit requiring land construction sites.
Mass in tonnes. Mass of waste is presented as wet weight or dry weight depending WStatR reporting obligations.
The analysis of the data in the YEIS system only involves the correction of data. In SAS, the inflating of the amount of waste generated to individual manufacturing industries is carried out using fairly old inflation coefficients. It has not been possible to update the coefficients in recent years due to the inadequacies of the old system and changes in the administrative data (VAHTI-YLVA data change in the Finnish environmental administration). The amount of waste generated is inflated and the amount of waste treated is obtained from the data in practically non-inflated form as the data in question are total data. The breakdown of the total amount of municipal waste between households and services is produced by means of modelling. The method is based on more detailed data on the breakdown obtained from the HSY region. The method was originally developed by Ilmo Mäenpää and the background variable data used in it are updated in accordance with the latest available figures.
This section is about collecting data on capacity of treatment facilities:
We don't have data on capacities. For landfills, data will be available in the future, maybe 2024 onwards.
Look at the concept 3.1.1 above. Source data is collected as observation or aggregated form data from many administrative sources reponsible for different register data collection. Statistics Finland does not conduct any own survey on waste statistics.
Annual relase of waste statistics.
Timeliness
The statistics describe the waste generated and treated during one calendar year. Most of the data for each statistical year are obtained by Statistics Finland for the compilation of the statistics approximately ten months after the end of the statistical period.
The statistics are in accordance with the criteria and definitions set out in the waste statistics regulation and the waste directive of the EU and the data are thus comparable with the statistics published in other EU countries.
The waste generation and treatment data are available as mutually comparable tables from 2004 onwards.
Statistics on wood waste have been changed from 2013 onwards to ensure that they can better meet the definitions listed in the waste directive. Logging waste residue is no longer classified as forestry waste and the statistics on industrial wood waste are fully based on the notifications made by enterprises on the generation and treatment of wood waste in the YLVA information system of the Finnish environmental administration.
Compilation of statistics on wholesale and retail waste considered as municipal waste has become more accurate from 2015 onwards, which increases the total amount of waste classified as municipal waste and impact the ratios between different treatment methods.
