Recycling and sorting

• Leftover food
• Coffee filters and teabags
• Paper towels and serviettes (table napkins)

Organic waste does not include:

• Potable liquids
• Sanitary towels (menstrual pads) or nappies (diapers), ash, cigarette stubs
• Plastic waste, receipts
• Cleaning waste, vacuum cleaner bags

Our collected organic waste is composted by Helsinki Region Environmental Services (HSY) at their eco-industrial centre in Ämmässuo, Espoo (page in Finnish). The end product is used as a topsoil for landscaping or as biomass for generating power and heat.

• Recyclable plastics include almost all plastic packages, such as food packaging, detergent bottles, disposable eating utensils (forks, knives, etc.), and plastic bags.
  
  Plastic packaging does not include:
  
  •    Dishwashing brushes 
  •    Shovels or spades
  •    Toothbrushes
  •    Ring binders or folders
  •    Poly pockets (plastic sleeves for holding documents)
  •    CDs, DVDs or computer diskettes 
  
  Before disposal, the packages should be rinsed with a small amount of cold water. Do not pack the plastic packages too tightly inside each other. 

Our collected plastic packaging is sent via the baling company  Suomen Paalauskeskus Oy (page in Finnish) to Fortum’s reprocessing plant in Riihimäki, where the plastic is ground into granules for use as a renewed raw material in the plastics industry. The new products manufactured from the material include sprinkling cans, flowerpots and dish brushes. 

• Glass jars and containers
• Non-returnable glass bottles

Labels and closures (caps, lids, etc.) do not need to be removed[B1] .

Glass waste does not include:

• Porcelain
• Crystal objects
• Mirrors
• Window glass
• Drinking glasses
• Thermal-resistant glass

Our collected glass waste is transported to the terminal of Finnish Packaging Recycling RINKI Ltd, where it is sent on to England as renewable raw material. in the production of glass containers, glass wool, and foam glass.

• Tins (metal cans)
• Aluminium foil
• Metal bottlecaps and lids
• Leftover metal scraps (iron, steel or aluminium)
• Other metal waste 

Metal waste does not include:

• Electrical or electronic waste
• Batteries (disposable or rechargeable)
• Spray cans or other pressurised containers
• Fluorescent tubes (including compact fluorescent lamps)
• Light bulbs or halogen lamps
   

Our collected glass waste is transported to the terminal of Finnish Packaging Recycling RINKI Ltd, where it is sent on for preprocessing before going on for industrial use as renewable raw material.

Nowadays, up to 50% of the metal used for new cars is recycled metal!

• Disposable coffee cups
• Cardboard containers from salad bars

Carton does not mean: 

• Gift package boxes
• Books

Empty food scraps from the containers, rinse with cold water, and let dry. To save space, the containers should be flattened and put inside each other.

Our collected cardboard is sent to Vantaa for baling at Suomen Paalauskeskus Oy:lle (page in Finnish), then sent on to factories to be made into cardboard tubes and raw material for corrugated cardboard.

• White office paper
• Envelopes
• Magazines
• Newspapers
• Coloured paper
• Notebook paper 
   

      Paper waste does not include:                                                                                  

• Soft, wet or dirty paper, copy paper packaging, charcoal drawings, plastic, charcoal drawings, styrofoam
• Oil, acrylic, chalk or pastel paintings/drawings
• Kraft paper, cardboard or corrugated cardboard
   

The paper collected from our sites is sent to Vantaa for baling at Suomen Paalauskeskus Oy (page in Finnish), then to factories to manufacture newspapers or paper towels. 

Please note: Sensitive or secret documents should be put in their own bin for data-secure disposal. Shredded paper should be sorted as energy waste as it is unsuitable for paper waste collection.

• CDs and DVDs
• PVC plastic (when used in plastic pockets, sleeves and binders, for example)
• Light bulbs and halogen lamps
• Ceramics, porcelain and crystal
• Window panes, mirrors
• Nappies (diapers) and sanitary towels (menstrual pads)
• Leather, rubber

Mixed waste does not include: 

• Any recyclable waste
• Hazardous waste, such as fluorescent lamps
   

Mixed waste is burned at the Vantaa Energy incineration plant to produce energy.

Mixed waste is the waste that remains at the end after all the waste that can be recycled or has recovery value has been sorted out.

• All papers containing confidential or secret information

Paper waste for secure disposal does not mean:

• Data storage media, such as memory sticks, DVDs, CDs, hard drives
• For disposing of other material containing secret or confidential information (e.g. storage media, workstations, 
  cell phones), contact the IT Service Desk. If you are moving out of an office, you can order a separate moving container.

Aalto University has a contract with Urbaser for the secure disposal of materials containing confidential data, such as paper, diskettes and hard drives. Suomen Tietoturva Oy is the operator, and their containers read ‘LHJ Group’.

• Please note: Certificates of secure destruction of electronic waste are not free of charge. 
• When setting laptops aside for collection and disposal, you do not need to remove the battery. 
• Aalto’s partner for disposing of electronics waste is Urbaser Oy. To order collection and disposal of electronic waste, see ‘Waste management service requests’ near the bottom of the page at: https://www.aalto.fi/en/services/recycling-and-sorting

The partner for battery recycling is Recser Oy.
 

Recser recycles used batteries and small and intact lithium batteries. The poles of the batteries should be taped and placed in a small plastic bag before putting them in the collection box. 
(For larger batteries and battery quantities, please contact the lobby service or Tanja Pietikäinen, [email protected] )

The actual battery collection points are located at six different addresses on campus:

• Konemiehentie 2
• Otaniementie 14
• Otakaari 1
• Otakaari 4
• Rakentajanaukio 4
   

There is a collection bin for individual batteries in the office supply depots in all buildings, but please deliver larger quantities directly to the addresses above.

Aalto’s partner for collecting and recycling batteries is Paristokierrätys/Recser (https://www.paristokierratys.fi/en).

• A box for collecting fluorescent tubes and compact fluorescent lamps is located at almost every site around the campus properties.
• For details, ask a Lobby Services receptionist or person responsible for the building.
• If a collection box is full, contact Tanja Pietikäinen, ([email protected]).

Aalto IT and Unigrafia organise the recycling of copy machine cartridges for colour printing as well as other waste colour containers.

Toner cartridge and waste toner containers recycling instructions you can find below.

• Chemical waste
• Paints, lacquers, solvents
• Aerosols

Hazardous waste does not include:

• Batteries (include rechargeable batteries)
• Fluorescent lamps
• Energy-saving lights
• Electrical or electronic waste
• Printer toner cartridge, include colour toner cartridges 
• Medicines (These should be returned to the pharmacy.)

Make sure you always sort your waste and put it in the bin that is specifically designated for it.

Lassila & Tikanoja Oyj is Aalto’s partner for disposal of hazardous wastes, such as paints, aerosols, oils and laboratory chemicals. More information on handling hazardous waste