working group set by the Finnish Ministry of the Environment has prepared its proposal for a national waste policy. This proposal for nationwide strategic plan for waste treatment and waste prevention principles, goals and the government‘‘s steering plans is going to be approved by the Council of State.

The goals set in the waste policy approved by the Council of State are binding to authorities, but not obligatory in and of themselves for other actors. The methods proposed in the plan become binding where they are, in separate instances, so decreed or made statutory, or enforced via the decision of an authorizing body.

Summary of the working group‘‘s proposal for a national waste policy

Waste prevention relies on increasing materials efficiency

The use of new steering methods to increase materials efficiency in production, building and consuming, and making the enforcement of current legislation more effective, promote waste prevention. Product ecoefficiency is enhanced by defining materials efficiency and ecoefficiency criteria and minimum requirements for specific product groups. This is done in cooperation with producers, authorities and other interest groups. The results can be utilized, for example, in the acquisition competitions for public purchases. A service centre for materials efficiency will be founded to further materials efficiency in corporations.

Recycling to be advanced by increasing demand for recycled materials, encouraging municipal waste sorting, and through financial incentives

Recycling will be advanced through actions that increase demand for recycled materials. These include developing qualityand environmental friendliness criteria for recycled products, favouring recycled materials in public building, and furthering the use of organic waste based fertilizers through advisory support in urban landscaping and agriculture. The waste tax law will be amended so that waste disposed at private and municipal landfills will be treated alike. The waste tax levels and possible exceptions will be reviewed. Permit conditions and waste type specific guidelines can be used to speed up the recycling of material from large industrial sources. Methods for furthering the reduction of construction waste and the recycling of construction waste will be investigated. Community waste sorting will be made more effective via waste tax incentives. Attempts will be made to strengthen the role of reusable packaging materials in EU packaging waste regulations.

Waste toxicity to be prevented mainly via chemical policies

In cooperation with chemical authorities, research on substances which cause harmful waste and the substitution of those substances with less harmful alternatives will be furthered. Producer responsibility for hazardous waste will be expanded to include batteries. Hazardous waste recycling advising will be intensified. Waste Act and EU chemical regulations will be combined to ensure the safety of materials that have been reused.

Greenhouse gases from waste management to be decreased

Energy recovery of waste will be increased, while simultaneously ensuring that significant amounts of recyclable material are not burned. In the environmental impact assessment procedures of incineration plants attention should be paid to the right sizing of waste incineration. Opportunities for coincineration of waste will be utilized. A sufficient energy effectiveness for waste incineration will be ensured through planning and permit incentives. Permit conditions will be used to significantly increase landfill gas capture and recovery. The building of biogas plants for recovery of manure and other waste will be supported as a part of rural development programs and through technology policy.

Biodegradable waste treatment, mining waste treatment and special types of waste are points of emphasis in the prevention of