Composting inspections for summer 2026 to start in the Jyväskylä region

Inspections are mainly carried out  on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. If necessary, inspections can also be carried out on Thursdays if inspections have had to be postponed, for example, due to rainy weather. 

Schedule of inspections:

19.5.–21.5. Jyväskylä: Kaunisharju, Kivilampi, Tölskä, Haapaniemi, Hupeli 
26.5.–28.5. Jyväskylä: Vesanka 
2.6.–4.6. Laukaa: Laukaan asema, Lemettilä, Vehniä 
9.6.–11.6. Jyväskylä: Ruoke and Rippalanmäki 
23.6.–25.6. Korpilahti: Kotamäki, Tähtiniemi, Hyrkkölä, Iloniemi, Kemppaisenmäki 
30.6.–2.7. Jyväskylä: Haukkamäki, Kirri, Terttumäki, Lintukangas 
7.7.–9.7. Jyväskylä: Puuppola 
14.7.–16.7 Jyväskylä: Matinmäki, Perä-Palokka, Kuikka 
21.7.–23.7 Muurame: Tervamäki, Paavalinvuori, Vuorenlahti, Niittyaho, Riihiniemi 

The schedule of inspections will also be published by public service. The schedule will be published on the municipalities' websites, in local newspapers and on the website of the Waste Board.

The property will not be notified of the inspection in advance, and the inspection does not require the presence of the property owner or resident.

Which properties are subject to inspections?

Inspections are only carried out on properties whose information on the treatment of biowaste is incomplete in the waste management authority's register. This means that the composter has not been notified, the information is incomplete or there is no information at all about the treatment of biowaste in the property.

Inspections are only carried out on permanently inhabited small properties. Inspections are not carried out on holiday properties or vacant properties.

The inspectors can be identified by their high-visibility clothing and the identity cards of the City of Jyväskylä. An inspection report is drawn up on the inspection, which is delivered to the property after the inspection. If deficiencies are detected, the property will be given instructions on how to rectify the situation.

Why are inspections carried out?  

The inspections are based on a simple matter: biowaste must be sorted separately and must not end up in mixed waste.  The inspections also prevent harm to rodents. Inadequate biowaste treatment or a broken composter can attract pests, such as rats, to the area.

All households in the Jyväskylä region are subject to the obligation to sort biowaste. Biowaste must not be disposed of as mixed waste. Biowaste must be collected in your own or a shared biowaste container with a neighbour or composted in an appropriate composter.

It is important to sort biowaste separately, as only separately collected biowaste can be reused. Biowaste is transported to energy recovery among mixed waste, which causes costs and challenges in the treatment plant. Biowaste is a valuable raw material in the production of biogas and soil products – or as a composted nutrient-rich growing medium for one's own yard.

Household biowaste collected in the Jyväskylä region is processed locally at Mustankorkea, where it is used to make biogas and soil products.

The inspection ensures that the property has an appropriate composter for the treatment of biowaste or another acceptable way of processing biowaste.
 

There is a lot of incorrect information circulating about the inspections

There are many misconceptions about composting inspections. Recently, there has been a lot of news about the fact that the government's efforts to dismantle norms have announced that composting inspectors would be abolished.

There is no separate post or position called composting inspector. Employees performing official duties in waste management carry out inspections in addition to their other duties. Inspections are only a small part of the extensive work of the authorities, the aim of which is to ensure that waste management functions correctly.

Ending inspections would require changes to waste legislation. In practice, the obligation to sort biowaste separately would have to be removed from the Act altogether if we wanted the waste management authority not to monitor the sorting. This would be in conflict with the recycling targets for municipal waste set by the EU for its member states. The Ministry of the Environment has highlighted increasing the sorting of biowaste as one of the most effective ways to increase the recycling rate in Finland.