For companies
Producer responsibility
The producer responsibility obligation applies to all companies introducing SUP products to the market. Such companies include manufacturers, importers and remote sellers. In practice, all of the aforementioned companies must fulfill their producer responsibility obligations. This can be done by joining the Finnish SUP Producer Group Ltd. The compliance of these obligations is monitored by the Pirkanmaa Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (ELY Centre).
Companies have responsibilities
In Finland, there is legislation regarding producer responsibility, according to which producers of tobacco products, fishing gear containing plastic, balloon producers and wet wipe producers are required to participate in the costs of education, waste management and, in part, the cleaning of littered areas.
Commencement of producer responsibility obligation
From January 1, 2023, the producer cost responsibility has applied to producers of filtered tobacco products and cigarette filters belonging to disposable plastic products. From January 1, 2025, the producer cost responsibility will apply to producers of balloons and wet wipes belonging to disposable plastic products. For wet wipes and balloons, the producer community must submit an application for approval to the producer register by June 30, 2024, at the latest. The producer's responsibility for waste management and its costs applies to the producer of fishing gear containing plastic from January 1, 2025. For fishing gear, the producer community must submit the application by December 31, 2023, at the latest.
SUP products we are responsible for
The Finnish SUP Producer Group manages the producer responsibility obligations for companies introducing the following products to the market:
Filtered tobacco products and separate cigarette filters
2) Balloons
Consumer-use balloons
3) Fishing gear
All fishing gear containing plastic. An article or a device used in fishing or aquaculture for the capture or cultivation of living natural resources or which floats on the water surface and is intended to attract, capture or cultivate aquatic living resources, excluding electrical and electronic equipment included in the fishing gear.
4) Wet wipes
Wipes for personal hygiene
If your company introduces the aforementioned products to the market and you would like to receive more information about the SUP Directive and producer responsibility, please contact us. We are happy to assist.
Join the producer group
The easiest way for a producer to fulfill their producer responsibility is to join a producer community.
The Finnish SUP Producer Group Ltd manages the producer responsibility obligations on behalf of affiliated producers
After filling out the form, we will contact you.
Fees
Fee due to late reporting
Raportoinnin myöhästymismaksu tarkoittaa tuottajayhteisön vuosittain päättämää ja kulloinkin voimassa olevaa maksua, jonka tuottaja on velvollinen maksamaan sopimusehtojen mukaisesti, jos se raportoi markkinoille saattamiensa tuotteiden tiedot myöhemmin kuin niistä on sovittu. Kulloinkin voimassa olevat raportoinnin myöhästymismaksut ja maksuehdot päättää tuottajayhteisön hallitus. Maksuihin lisätään kulloinkin voimassa olevien säännösten mukaisesti arvonlisävero.
The late reporting fees:
- If the information is submitted less than two weeks late, the late fee is 1% of the SUP fee for the reporting period.
- If the information is submitted less than a month late, the late fee is 5% of the SUP fee for the reporting period.
- If the information is submitted more than a month late, the late fee is 15% of the SUP fee for the reporting period.
- If the information is submitted more than 2 months late, the late fee is 25% of the SUP fee for the reporting period.
- Myöhästymismaksu on vähintään 50,00 euroa ja enintään 15 000,00 € (alv 0 %).
Registration fee
The registration fee refers to the annually approved and currently applicable fee set by the producer community. A producer is obligated to pay this fee in accordance with the contractual terms when joining the system. The registration fee is charged from those producers who are not already parties to an existing producer responsibility transfer agreement. The registration fee is determined by the board of the producer community. The registration fee is a one-time payment.
The registration fee is €500. For companies with a turnover of less than €150,000, the fee is reduced to €200. The fee is subject to VAT in accordance with the currently applicable regulations.
SUP fee
SUP-maksu tarkoittaa tuottajayhteisön vuosittain päättämää ja kulloinkin voimassa olevaa maksua, jonka SUP-tuotteita markkinoille saattava tuottaja on velvollinen maksamaan sopimusehtojen mukaisesti. Tuottajan maksuosuus muodostuu tuottajan markkinoille tuomien SUP-tuotteiden määrän (EUR/tonni) perusteella täydeltä kalenterivuodelta (sopimuksen voimaantulohetkestä riippumatta). Maksuihin lisätään kulloinkin voimassa
VAT is added to the fees in accordance with the currently applicable regulations.
Why is the SUP fee paid?
The costs incurred in fulfilling producer responsibility according to waste legislation are covered by the producer responsibility fees paid by producers.
The waste legislation that came into effect on January 1, 2023, imposes additional obligations on producers, particularly those related to SUP producers.
The most significant cost impact comes from the fact that producers will bear the cost responsibility for waste management and cleaning activities related to SUP products implemented by municipalities.
In addition, producers are required to cover the costs of a littering survey conducted every three years and the implementation of consumer education relating to litter prevention.
The costs arising from these new responsibilities are covered by the SUP fees billed to producers.
How is the SUP fee determined?
The SUP fee for producers of tobacco, wet wipes and balloons is determined based on the compensation paid to municipalities to cover the costs of waste management and cleaning activities in public areas due to SUP products.
From 2023 to 2025, the total cost of municipal waste management and cleaning activities is calculated at a rate of 4.79 €/resident/year, as stipulated by the Government Decree. Starting from 2026, the calculation basis will be the actual costs incurred by municipalities.
The costs are allocated to different SUP product categories according to the distribution shares specified in the regulation.
The SUP fee also covers other costs arising from SUP requirements (e.g. consumer education).
The management board of the Finnish SUP Producer Group decides the amount of SUP fees annually.
The allocation of fees to an individual producer is based on the quantities of SUP product categories reported by the producer to the producer community as placed on the market.
For fishing gear The SUP fee is primarily determined by the obligation to establish a separate collection network for fishing gear waste. Producers of fishing gear containing plastic must ensure that fishing gear waste is separately collected for recycling at least in a quantity equivalent to ten weight percent of the annual amount of fishing gear containing plastic placed on the market by the producers. The separate collection network must be established in a way that delivering waste to the collection point is free of charge and convenient. Additionally, collection points must be evenly distributed throughout the country.
The product category-specific fee paid by the producer is calculated separately:
1) for the waste collection, transportation and treatment organized to prevent littering(collection costs));
2) for the cleaning of litter and for transportation and treatment of waste(cleaning costs).
From 2023 to 2025, the municipality's total costs for the measures referred to in paragraph 1 are 4,79 euros per resident. Of this, 3,09 euros are collection costs and 1,70 euros are cleaning costs.
The costs referred to in points 1 and 2 do not include the costs of tobacco waste bins, for which the producer is responsible as provided in section 48b of the Waste Act.
Allocation of collection costs by product category
Collection costs are allocated by product category as follows, and the remaining costs are covered by the municipalities:
|
Product category |
Percentage share of municipal costs |
|
Tobacco products and filters belonging to disposable plastics |
0,5 % |
Allocation of cleaning costs by product category
Cleaning costs are allocated by product category as follows, and the remaining costs are covered by the municipalities:
|
Product category |
Percentage share of municipal costs |
|
Tobacco products and filters belonging to disposable plastics |
11 % |
|
Wet wipes belonging to disposable plastics |
1 % |
|
Balloons belonging to disposable plastics |
0 % |
Reporting
When a company joins the Finnish SUP Product Group Ltd, it transfers its producer responsibility obligations to be managed by the producer community. The company is then left with two tasks:
- Reporting of quantities placed on the market (pieces/tons), as agreed, to the Finnish SUP Producer Group Ltd.
- Paying producer responsibility fees based on quantities placed on the market, as agreed, to the Finnish SUP Producer Group Ltd.
Producers have a legal obligation to report the quantities of products they place on the market in an agreed-upon manner to the Finnish SUP Producer Group Ltd. Timely reporting is essential for the functionality of the producer responsibility system as it directly affects the system's financing, billing, and ultimately the overall management of producer responsibility.
Producers provide the necessary information according to the reporting schedule below and the guidelines of the producer community. To maintain and update the guidelines, the producer community monitors changes in legislation and reporting requirements, develops guidelines and improves procedures.
Producers' reporting schedule:
- 1.–31.3., report by 15.4.
- 4.–30.6., report by 15.7.
- 7.–30.9., report by 15.10.
- 10.–31.12., report by 15.1.
The above reporting schedule does not apply to producers under the simplified procedure. The simplified procedure applies to producers who place small quantities of SUP products on the market each year. The board defines, by product category, what constitutes a 'small quantity'. Producers falling under the simplified procedure can report data for the entire previous year by January 15th.
The accuracy of the information provided by producers is ensured by using information systems suitable for data submission, collection and reporting. By doing so, the number of data processors and processing instances, as well as the possibility of errors, is reduced. The system proficiency of all users is ensured through orientation, guidance and instructional materials.
The information from the reporting system is stored in an electronic archive and/or the producer community's cloud service. The retention period is at least the storage period required by accounting laws or other regulations governing the producer community's activities.
The producer community's reporting system is designed in such a way that it provides reliably and accurately the information required for the annual monitoring report to be submitted to the Pirkanmaa ELY Centre.
The information provided by producers is confidential and treated as such within the producer community. The entity handling the information is responsible for adhering to the confidentiality terms of its employees. Producer-specific information regarding different SUP products is confidential and is not disclosed to other producers. The board is only informed of the total quantity for each SUP product. In cases where information is obtained from only one producer for a specific SUP product, the individual producer's reported information may be reported to the board.
All reporting and data transfer adhere to the provisions of competition legislation.
More detailed reporting instructions and definitions can be found in the 'member pages' section.
Producer responsibility legislation
The producer responsibility obligation applies to all companies introducing SUP products to the market. Such companies include manufacturers, importers and remote sellers. In practice, all of the aforementioned companies must fulfill their producer responsibility obligations. This can be done by joining the Finnish SUP Producer Group Ltd. The compliance of these obligations is monitored by the Pirkanmaa Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (ELY Centre).
Companies have responsibilities
In Finland, there is legislation regarding producer responsibility, according to which producers of tobacco products, fishing gear containing plastic, balloon producers and wet wipe producers are required to participate in the costs of education, waste management and, in part, the cleaning of littered areas.
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