Based on the European Union WEEE directive, the Finnish waste legislation prescribes that the producer of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) organises the recycling and waste management of the waste arising from the products placed on the market by the producer and is liable for the costs of the waste management. Producer responsibility entered into force on 13 August 2005.
Producer responsibility obliges, for example, the producers of EE-appliances and batteries and accumulators.
Detailed information on producer responsibility and up-to-date information can be found on Environmental administration's pages.
The easiest way for a company to fulfil its obligations is to join a producer organisation. Elker Ltd takes care of the producer obligations on behalf of the producer organisations SELT Association, ICT Producer cooperative and FLIP Association.
Producer organisations organise on behalf of its member companies competitive bidding for collection point, transport, recycling, reporting, and waste management services, and conclude agreements about them with municipalities and businesses of the industry. Established by three producer organisations, service company Elker Ltd takes care of these obligations in practice.
You can check all WEEE producer organisations and and producers accepted in Finland on Environmental administrations' pages.
Producer responsibility for portable batteries and accumulators placed on the Finnish market is taken care of by making a transfer agreement with battery and accumulator producer organisation Recser Ltd. The obligation covers both batteries and accumulators inside appliances as well as batteries and accumulators imported/manufactured separately. Recser's pages here.
Elker currently provides the possibility to take care of the producer obligations of WEEE and batteries and accumulators in 17 other EU countries.