Suomen Palautuspakkaus Oy

Suomen Palautuspakkaus Oy PALPA administers and develops deposit-based systems for beverage containers in Finland. The task also includes reminding people of the importance of returning used beverage containers.

The return percentage goal level 90 % is high and requires continuous informing about new products and products that have been on the market for long.

Mainly due to the system of deposits paid on returned packages, a very large proportion of the beverage containers are recycled or reused in Finland.

The recycling system is very comprehensive; almost all soft drink, water, beer, cider, long drink and sport drink bottles and cans have a deposit. After recyclable plastic bottles arrived in January 2008, also spring water, mead, iced tea and wine has a deposit. Deposit-based recyclable plastic bottles can be recognized from a deposit symbol.

PALPA is owned by the retail trade and the breweries.

Numbers of items that are included in the system:

Owner companies                                                       7
Deposit payers (cans)                                                      30
Deposit payers (recyclable plastic bottles)                41
Shared recycling points                                             343
Retail trade recycling points                                 5815
Horeca recycling points                                         8758
Reverse vending machines in Finland           circa 4000