PRO Finnish Plastics Recycling Ltd

Finnish holding company is registered as PRO

Last year, the Raan Group became a major shareholder in the Finnish recycling system “Finnish Plastic Recycling Ltd” (Suomen Uusiomuovi Oy) through a subsidiary. The company has recently officially become a Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) for all types of packaging materials. On behalf of more than 2,700 licensed producers, glass, paper and cardboard, metal and wooden packaging will also be collected and recycled in the future.

One system for all types of packaging materials

The non-profit organization has been taking care of the correct collection and recycling of plastic packaging since as early as 1992. Extending producer responsibility to other types of packaging materials is a big step for the 39 companies that jointly operate the take-back system.

“Suomen Uusiomuovi is proud that the project, launched in April 2022, to expand the company’s operations into a take-back system for all types of packaging has received regulatory approval. This has been a major effort by the entire company, which now results in a strategy that is in line with our values,” says CEO Mika Surakka.

Securing the availability of secondary raw materials

The expansion of the services offered is based on an amendment to the Finnish Waste Act, which specifies that packaging take-back systems included in the producer register must cover all types of packaging materials. Previously, there were separate take-back systems for packaging made of paper and cardboard, glass, metal, plastic and wood.

“Increasing collection and recycling rates, especially for plastic packaging, are a challenge for the near future. By expanding our activities, we also want to secure the availability of secondary raw materials for the Finnish packaging industry” adds Antti Tiilikainen, member of the Reclay Management Board and Chairman of the Board of Finnish Plastic Recycling Ltd.

For the first time, a Finnish PRO also offers solutions for the agricultural industry. There have been some recycling activities for agricultural plastics in the past, but not on a nationwide level. With “Finnish Agricultural Plastics Recycling Ltd“, Suomen Uusiomuovi Oy is coordinating another initiative that aims to have producers, importers and distributors of agricultural plastics take responsibility for agricultural plastics, although this is not required by law.