NEWS

Ecolabel Partnership was contracted by the Government Offices of Sweden to compile a report of the Finnish legislation and practice in municipal solid waste management (MSW). This waste is currently under the municipal monopoly in Sweden and the Government is considering a revision of the law to allow free competition of services for MSW generated by companies, as it currently is in Finland. Ecolabel Partnership was part of the consultant team that conducted the regulatory impact assessment of the previous revision of the Finnish Waste Act in 2015-2016.

Ecolabel Partnership was contracted by the Ministry for the Environment of Finland to assist in the national implementation of the SUP-directive. Ecolabel is assigned to present the legal and practical options for implementing the extended producer's responsibility scheme required by the directive. The producers of certain SUP-products are obliged to carry the costs of preventing and cleaning-up of littering of public areas, caused by SUP-wastes. Such products include certain take-away packaging, plastic cups, tobacco filters, balloons, wet wipes. Fishing gear producers have obligations to take back discarded plastic containing products such as nets.

Ecolabel Partnership is sub-contractor to Ramboll Finland in a project commissioned by the Ministry for the Environment of Finland for promoting recycling of plastic waste in the construction sector. The project deals both with the waste separation issues and the demand side for using recycled plastic.

Ecolabel Partnership has been awareded a contract by the Ministry for the Environment of Finland concerning the policy instruments for preventing littering of the sea and lakes by plastic wastes and fishing gear that includes plastic. The study aims to support the implementation of the EU directive proposal regarding single-use plastic products. The policy instruments that will be assessed include product bans, extended producer's responsibility systems, collection and recycling obligations and new product standards, in addition to awareness building and practical means of combatting the littering problem. The consortium lead by Ecolabel Partnership includes Enlawin Consulting Ltd. and

UNDP Vietnam has contracted Chementors Ltd., Finland in consortium with Ecolabel Partnership to support UNDP and national consultants in auditing about 50 Vietnamese companies from 6 specific sectors to promote the adoption of Green Chemistry. The study focuses especially on the reduction of POPs use and emissions (Persistent Organic Pollutants = POPs as defined in the Stockholm Convention). The role of Ecolabel is to train and advise on waste audits, waste prevention and the calculation of POP emissions.

UN Development Program UNDP in Vietnam has recruited Raimo Lilja as an individual consultant to assist the chemical authority in Vietnam (Vinachemia) in proposing policy actions for promoting Green Chemistry in the industry in order to phase out persistent organic pollutants or other harmful chemicals and to reduce their emissions from industry.

In an assignment by the Ministry of Environment of Finland, Ecolabel Partnership together with Enlawin Consulting conducted an assessment of three proposals aiming at streamlining regulation related to selected industrial activities.The first task was to assess the alternatives for streamlining regulation of industrial wastewater emissions to the public sewer. The second task was to assess the alternatives for reducing the overlapping of permitting of chemical storages by the environmental and industrial safety authorities. The third task was to assess the needs of revising environmental regulation related to public hearing and the right to lodge a complaint regarding environmental permits.

In an assignment by the Ministry of Environment of Finland, Ecolabel Partnership together with Ekopolku Partnership conducted an assessment of the proposal of revising the Environmental Protection Law to repeal the link to an old law providing protection from immissions to neighbours of the emission source. The study concluded that the current EPL provides adequate protection to neighbours of industrial emission sources. The old law should be applied to smaller sources of nuisance than those that require an environmental permit. Land use planning provides instruments for avoiding conflicts related to immissions. Procedures for providing mediation in such conflicts were recommended.

Ecolabel Partnership has been sub-contracted by Finnish Consulting Group FCG to conduct a study on the reuse of used electrical and electorinic equipment in Finland. The project was commissioned by the national authority (Pirkanmaan ELY-keskus) responsible for supervising the Extended Producer's Responsibility (EPR) schemes in Finland. The study will look into the present state of reuse and opportunities to enhance reuse.

Managing director Raimo Lilja defended his doctoral thesis at the Aalto University School of Chemical Technology on August 5th 2016. The topic of the dissertation is Promoting waste prevention in industry - search for policy instruments. The thesis is downloadable here. http://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-60-6813-8

26.1.2014 Material efficiency audits for industry

The Finnish agency for energy and material efficiency MOTIVA has authorized Raimo Lilja from Ecolabel Partnership to conduct material efficiency audits in industrial establishments using the material flow cost accounting methodology developed by MOTIVA.   Read more

26.9.2013 Material efficiency in construction and demolition

The Ministry for the Environment of Finland has contracted Ecolabel Partnership to assist in the launching of a program for promoting material efficiency in the construction and demolition sector.   The program consists of seven topics covering material efficiency in new construction, renovation and during the life-cycle as a whole.   Also the program covers promotion of reuse and recycling of recovered materials and wastes from construction and demolition.  

22.8.2013 Industrial environmental management training in Lao PDR

Raimo Lilja has completed another mission for the EMSP financed jointly by the Government of Lao PDR and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland.  The mission consisted of training authorities in the Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MOIC) and the Ministry for Natural Resources and the Environment (MONRE) on environmental monitoring in industry.   The main topics were facilitation of environmental self-monitoring in industry, promoting Cleaner Production and managing industrial hazardous wastes.  The workshops were conducted in Vientiane, Oudomxay, Pakse and Savannakhet in July-August 2013.