Mixed waste
Mixed waste is miscellaneous, non-recyclable final waste. Hazardous waste and all materials that can be reused as raw materials have already been separated from it. Mixed waste is used to produce district heating and electricity at the waste-to-energy plant in Vantaa.
What can be sorted into mixed waste?
- hygiene products, such as disposable nappies, menstrual products, cotton swabs
- dirty food packaging
- worn-out shoes, belts, bags
- leather, faux leather and rubber
- worn-out clothing, such as underwear, socks, tights
- pillows, duvets
- soft toys, pet beds
- non-recyclable plastic products, such as polystyrene, PVC and foam plastic See the sorting instructions for plastic
- drinking glasses and heat-resistant glassware
- mirrors, pieces of broken window glass
- porcelain and ceramics
- vacuum cleaner dust bags
- incandescent and halogen light bulbs and fuses
- cooking oil, in a tightly closed plastic bottle
- ash and cigarette butts
What should not be sorted into mixed waste
- Hazardous waste
- Electric and electronic equipment
- (Large) metal items
- Large amounts of non-combustible waste or large non-combustible items > deliver to a Sortti Station
- Recyclable materials with their own separate collection, such as
- biowaste
- carton and cardboard packaging
- glass bottles and jars
- metal
- plastic packaging
- paper
Large metal items, in particular, can cause harm at the waste-to-energy plant. Separate collection is also available for electric and electronic equipment and for hazardous waste free of charge.
Where should I sort non-combustible material?
Even though mixed waste is combusted for energy, you can also sort small amounts of non-combustible materials, such as ceramics and porcelain, cat litter, pieces of broken glassware and mirrors, into mixed waste. There is no recycling option for them. They do not burn or generate energy, but the waste-to-energy plant is able to handle small amounts.
Large amounts or large items of non-combustible material, such as aggregates or sanitary fixtures: see the sorting instructions for construction waste.
Sort all recyclable material, such as glass bottles and jars as well as metal items, into their own collection containers.
What is mixed waste used for?
We transport mixed waste to the waste-to-energy plant of Vantaa Energy.
In the reception hall, garbage trucks empty their loads into a large bunker. The waste is not sorted further at the plant. A grabber measures out suitable batches of mixed waste for combustion. The combustion energy is recovered and flue gases are cleaned. The end result is district heating and electricity.
After combustion, so-called scum is left over from non-combustible material. We pre-treat it at the Ämmässuo eco-industrial centre and use it in earthworks, for example.