Three tips for recycling biowaste
Do you tend not to recycle biowaste because there are no biowaste bags in your cupboard or you think biowaste is a bit gross? Now is the time to shake off prejudices relating to biowaste recycling. See our easy tips on how to sort biodegradable waste.
1. You can put organic, biodegradable waste in the biowaste container
A good rule of thumb for recycling biowaste is that the majority of your home’s kitchen waste belongs to the biowaste container.
Put in biowaste:
- fruit and vegetable peels
- food scraps
- fish and other bones
- solidified fats and food grease
- egg peels and egg cartons
- coffee grounds and tea leaves, teabags and filter bags
- paper towels and napkins
- plant parts and withered flowers.
The HSY waste guide is a handy source of advice if you are not sure whether something belongs to biowaste or not.
2. Package biowaste correctly – make use of bags and packaging available in your home
You must not drop any biowaste in your home building’s biowaste container loose as it is. Instead, you must collect it in your home into a biodegradable bag or other packaging.
It is by no means necessary to buy separate biowaste bags.
Many homes already have packagings suitable for the collection of biowaste. Examples of packagings that you can use for biowaste include:
- flour and sugar bags
- cardboard cereal, muesli and porridge packaging without a plastic window
- paper bags
- newspaper.
“You should check what kinds of bags can be used for biowaste in your local area, as there are some differences in further waste treatment methods between areas around Finland,” SATO Corporate Responsibility Advisor Tiina Lehti points out.
The majority of SATO homes are located in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, Turku and Tampere, where you can use shop-bought bags made from biodegradable plastic but not ordinary plastic bags. By contrast, in cities such as Oulu and Kerava you can also use ordinary plastic bags.
3. Biowaste does not need to be gross
Some people find it difficult to recycle biowaste as biodegradable waste is more moist than other household waste.
You can avoid biowaste bags breaking or smelling bad by following a couple of simple rules.
“It is a good idea to drain off any excess liquid from your food scraps so that it doesn’t soak your biowaste bag immediately. You can also put pieces of used paper towels or empty egg cartons at the bottom of the bag to absorb moisture,” says Tiina.
The easiest way to prevent any odour nuisance is to take the waste out often enough and keep the biowaste container clean. Sprinkling some baking soda on the bottom of the waste container may also help to control odours.
Sources: HSY, Kiertokaari ja Kiertokapula