Waste collection facilities and sorting

Careful sorting reduces the costs of waste management, as the fee Heka is charged for sorted waste is lower than the one charged for mixed waste. Each person is responsible for the appropriate recycling of personal electrical appliances, electronics, furniture, textiles and similar waste.

Heka is charged separately for items and waste bags left outside the waste containers.

Review the sorting guidelines

Which waste belongs to which container? What to do with waste for which there is no suitable container in the household waste collection facility? Read about sorting instructions on the HSY website. There, you can also find information about the recycling services in Helsinki.

Read sorting instructions on the HSY website

Observe sorting instructions

The waste collection facilities of Heka buildings have separate containers for biowaste, paper, cardboard, glass, metal, plastic packaging and mixed waste. According to the rules, waste must be taken to the places reserved for it and the instructions for sorting must be followed.

There are many good reasons for sorting your waste:

  • The collection of sorted waste is cheaper than that of mixed waste. Careful sorting reduces waste management costs, which has an impact on the rent paid by residents.
  • Recyclable waste that has been sorted into its own waste container can be used as industrial raw materials, for example. Doing small, mundane things saves natural resources.
  • Incorrectly sorted waste and large items, such as furniture and electronics, left next to the waste containers cause additional cleaning costs, which are also reflected in the rent.
  • Hazardous waste, such as radiators, batteries, energy-saving light bulbs, paints, solvents and tin from New Year’s celebrations, is a threat to health and the environment when it ends up in the wrong place.

The HSY waste guide helps with sorting issues.

Waste collection facilities

It is important to keep the waste collection facility clean, as biowaste left outside the waste containers attracts rats. A dirty waste collection facility is also a hygiene risk and does not make taking the trash out very pleasant. The removal of goods and waste bags left outside the waste containers causes additional costs for Heka.

Instructions for waste collection facilities:

  • Close the mixed waste bag to prevent waste from falling out of the bag around the waste collection facility or yard.
  • Pack biowaste in decomposing packaging, such as newspapers, a paper bag or a biowaste bag you bought from a store.
  • Disassemble or flatten any carboard packaging and put them inside one another. In this way, there is no space wasted in the waste containers and the refuse truck is not just transporting air.
  • Close the lid of the waste container to keep the waste in the container and to avoid attracting rats or other animals.
  • The waste containers located closest to the door of the waste collection facility are usually filled first. If there are several containers for the same type of waste in the waste collection facility, fill them evenly.
  • The waste collection facility is not the correct place for discarded furniture, household appliances or other large items or hazardous waste. Read the HSY website to find out where you can take them.

Problems with your waste collection facility?

The correct emptying rhythm of waste containers helps keep the waste collection facility clean and saves on waste management costs. If, in your opinion, the waste containers are emptied too infrequently or too frequently, or if the waste containers have not been emptied, or if a light, door or waste container in the waste collection facility has broken, please report it. 

Discarding furniture and other large-scale waste

Did you know that Heka is charged separately for items and waste bags left outside the waste containers? The removal of televisions, mattresses, coffee machines and other items that should not be discarded in properties’ waste collection facilities creates a significant cost item each year, which is reflected in the rents.

Each person is responsible for the appropriate recycling of personal electrical appliances, electronics, furniture, textiles and similar waste. They must not be left at waste collection facilities or in community effort skips.

Usable goods that you do not need anymore should be sold or donated through the Recycling Centre or social media recycling groups, for example. If the goods are broken or otherwise unusable, check the HSY website to see where you can deliver them for recycling. 

Review the waste information of your property

On the property pages and resident pages of our website, you can review your property’s waste volumes, waste management costs and waste containers emptying dates. The data is not displayed for each individual waste collection facility; instead, the information of the entire property is displayed in the same chart or table.

Waste information is not available for pipeline-based waste collection systems (IMU, RODE and RÖÖRI). These are mainly found in Jätkäsaari, Kalasatama and Kruunuvuorenranta.