Did you know that over half the waste that is produced in TYS housing locations turns into recycled materials? The burnable waste is also utilised in heat production, so for the TYS housing locations, the waste recovery percentage is a clean 100!
Recycling waste is beneficial because that way your household waste gets utilised and you are saving natural resources as well as money. Did you know that processing of burnable waste is the most expensive? Following guidelines for recycling is important because poor sorting makes utilising waste difficult or even impossible. Sorted waste makes it possible to create raw materials that can be used to create new products.
It is possible for the residents of all the TYS housing locations to recycle biodegradable, plastic, paper, metal, glass, and carton waste, the buildings have a bin for these in the waste area. In addition, all waste areas have a bin for burnable waste.
The recycling bins are placed for example like this in shared kitchens of houses 6C and 12A in Student Village. TYS started a recycling pilot in 2019, when the kitchens were delivered their own containers for all waste´s.
The company responsible for waste disposal at TYS housing locations is Lassila & Tikanoja that is also providing a carbon neutral waste management service for TYS. The service consists of calculating the greenhouse emissions caused by transporting and processing waste from TYS housing locations. The emissions are compensated by sequestering carbon from the atmosphere through Gold Standard certified forestation projects, by supporting the employment of locals and by enhancing biodiversity.
It is good to remember that furniture and electronic devices should not be left at the waste areas of buildings. The discarded furniture and electronics have to be transported from the waste areas separately which results in additional waste management costs. In the long run, the additional costs of incorrectly sorted waste, can cause an increase in rent.
Instead, you should try to find a new home for furniture, electronics, clothes, and other things that are still usable. This ensures they are utilised in the best way possible.
Below, you can find more information about sorting waste and tips on how to sort other things, like electronics.
Biodegradable waste – used to make biogas and fertilisers
-Leftover food
-Fruit and vegetable peels
-Coffee and tea grounds with filter papers
-Paper towels and napkins
-Spoiled food
-Fishbones and other small bones
-Plant parts and withered flowers (not soil)
Drain any fluids. Use degradable packaging, for example newspapers or biodegradable bin bags.
Metal – used to make new metal products
-Rinsed tins and metal cans
-Beverage cans with no deposit
-Aluminium trays, foils, and lids
-Metal lids, caps, and clips
-Old pots and frying pans
-Cutlery, scissors, screws, and nails
-Other assorted small metal items
-Empty, non-pressurised aerosol cans
-Empty paint cans
Glass containers – Used to make new container glass
Only glass containers
-Glass jars and bottles
Remove caps and lids, rinse dirty containers. Sort all other glass like broken dishes and windowpanes to burnable waste.
Paper – Used to make newspaper
-Newspapers and magazines
-Advertising mail and brochures
-Envelopes
-Copy and drawing paper
-Phone books and catalogues
-Paperback books and other books with the hard covers removed
Cardboard packaging – used to make core board
-Milk and juice cartons
-Cardboard food packaging
-Cereal, cookie, and candy packaging
-Paper bags
-Pizza boxes and egg cartons
-Cardboard tubes from toilet paper and paper towel rolls
-Multipack boxes of drinks etc.
-Cardboard boxes
Rinse and let dry. Flatten and pack one inside another.
Plastic packaging – Used to make recycled plastic products and in energy production
-Plastic packaging for foods like yoghurts, spreads, cold cuts, cheeses, and convenience foods
-Detergent, shampoo, and soap bottles
-Plastic bottles, canisters, and jars – preferably flattened
-Plastic bags and wrappers
-Styrofoam packages
No PVC. Sort broken plastic items and dirty plastic packaging to burnable waste.
Burnable waste – used for district heating and electricity production
Everyday, unrecyclable waste, like:
-Dirty plastic and cardboard packaging
-Food waste and plant parts if biodegradable waste is not collected
-Personal care products like diapers and menstrual paddings
-Pet litter
-Cleaning waste like vacuum cleaner bags
-Plastic products like buckets and toys
-Broken dishes
-Damaged clothes and shoes
-Soil from flowerpots
These products are NOT allowed in recycling areas and/or bins
– Hazardous waste. For example, paint, batteries, and medications.
Hazardous waste should be taken to the Lounais-Suomen Jätehuolto’s recycling centre in Topinoja or Turun Ekotori Reuse Centre in Rieskalähteentie.
You can return used batteries to the closest grocery store.
You can take your medical waste to the closest pharmacy free of charge.
– Electronic devices. For example, fluorescent lamps and broken electronic devices.
Official recycling centres like Turun Ekotori Reuse Centres are the best option for nature, especially for things that are still functioning, because the centres can also sell products.
Waste management transfer stations take in devices of all shapes and sizes, free of charge, but even functioning devices get dismantled.
Some household appliance stores accept electronic devices as well. Small devices are accepted without the expectation of buying a new, similar item, but bigger items can usually only be taken in if you buy a new one from the store. Electronic devices that are returned to the stores get dismantled and recycled through the producer association’s collections.
– Furniture
Usable furniture can be sold or donated. For example, the Turun Ekotori Reuse Centres and Finnish Red Cross’ Kontti Second Hand Department Stores accept usable things. Information and details on the products that are accepted can be found on their webpage. Many TYS buildings have their own Facebook groups and Jodel channels in which you can offer or sell your unwanted items to other residents.
Broken furniture can be recycled at the Lounais-Suomen Jätehuolto’s recycling centre in Topinoja. You can also order Lounais-Suomen Jätehuolto or Lassila & Tikanoja to transport your unwanted items away for a fee. It is cheaper, per piece, to recycle multiple pieces of furniture at the same time. You can order the transport for example with a neighbour and split the cost
