The Waste Prevention Strategy in Helsinki Metropolitan Area Council (YTV) Finland

In January 2002, the Board of Directors of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area Council (YTV) accepted the Waste Prevention Strategy. The target of the strategy is to utilise regional and national advice and guidance, so as to motivate the residents, enterprises and the public sector to avoid waste production, so that less waste will be produced per resident and per workplace in 2007 than in 2000. The strategy was organised as a project with the main parts to include (i) waste prevention in companies, concentrating on co-operation networks to be formed for different sectors and on information acquired and distributed with them, on the use of the waste benchmarking system maintained by YTV and on the development of waste management consulting for enterprises by a trainer network, (ii) the waste prevention in public administration covers offices, acquisitions and social and health care. The process starts by ecologising YTV's own operations, and proceeds towards waste reduction models to be prepared and introduced in co-operation with the municipalities of the region, (iii) the information service and awareness education is directed towards households and schools. An awareness campaign will be arranged for households in order to spread information on the reduction of waste and to develop more positive attitudes towards this idea. Education material and methods will be produced for preschool, primary school, senior high schools and vocational institutions together with the authorities in order to promote waste prevention (iv) through social influence and international co-operation, YTV takes an active part in the political discussion on waste at municipal, national and EU level by bringing up the theme of waste prevention. The development and measures related to waste avoidance both in Finland and abroad are also monitored closely.

• Introduction

• Waste Prevention Strategy

• References