The Finnish Government aims to build Finland into a socially, economically and ecologically sustainable society. A goal to develop Finland’s role as a pioneer in circular economy is included in the government programme. Promoting circular economy helps control the overconsumption of natural resources and climate change, protect biodiversity, create new types of jobs and boost the competitive strength of the economy.
Circular economy as the building blocks of a new economy
- Promoting the creation of services to replace products and strengthening the market of recycled materials to replace virgin raw materials.
- Systematically increasing the share of raw materials in circulation.
- Boosting Finland’s role as a pioneer in circular economy. Executing a cross-administrative, strategic circular economy promotion programme and indicators during the term of government. The programme should set goals, define the necessary measures and reserve the necessary resources for promoting circular economy in Finland.
- Using administration, legislation and financial steering methods to promote circular economy and dismantling its obstacles in Finland and in the EU.
- Strengthening the profile of Finland as a pioneer in circular economy in international forums as well (including various UN processes, WTO).
- Promoting the export of Finnish circular economy expertise and creating prerequisites for international circular economy cooperation in various sectors.
- Finland promoting amendments to the ecodesign directive to better promote circular economy.
- Strengthening circular economy in terms of the circulation of nutrients as well.
- Fixed-term circular economy investment subsidy adopted to expedite investments in circular economy.
Recycling of waste
- Creating a vision for the waste sector, supporting the goals of recycling and circular economy and extending to the 2030s. The goal is to elevate the recycling rate to at least the level of the recycling goals set by the EU.
- Ensuring, in connection with the current renewal of the Finnish Waste Act, that municipalities comply with the provisions of the Waste Act even when the duty to organise transport has been issued to the possessor of the property. Maintaining municipal waste management operators’ limit of performing business services with external parties at 10% (as of 1 January 2030).
- Reserving the necessary resources for developing monitoring and measuring systems.
- Analysing the option of launching the separate collection of textiles before the 2025 deadline set in the waste directive.
- Enhancing plastics recycling and implementing the proposals in the Plastics Roadmap
Public and private consumption
- The state and the municipalities must lead the way in adopting environmentally friendly solutions.
- Increasing the level of procurement expertise and the binding force of the Finnish Act on Public Procurement in terms of sustainable procurement and quality assessments. Amending the Procurement Act so that the carbon and environmental footprints are included in the procurement criteria in procurements with significant environmental impact.
- Adopting a tool for distributing the risks of innovative procurements. Expediting the general implementation of good practices concerning sustainable and innovative procurement.
- Improving consumers’ opportunities of being informed of the climate-related and environmental impacts of services and goods. Promoting the use and creation of criteria supporting sustainable consumption. Renewing taxation to support the goals of sustainable development and consumption. The goal is to make climate-related and environmental impacts more visible in the prices of products and services.
- Boosting the recycling of materials and circular economy in the construction industry.