Nordic sustainability briefing: waste rules, textile flows and a slower carbon-accounting timeline
Finland's government has sent a Waste Act amendment to Parliament that would bar recyclable waste from being collected as energy waste, while Sweden reports higher textile consumption alongside separate-collection duties that now cover businesses. The GHG Protocol's consolidated consultation on scopes 1–3 is slated for Q2 2027, the EU plans to ban plastic-waste exports to non-OECD countries from November 2026, and COP31 in Antalya has obtained event-sustainability and zero-waste certifications.
Finnish government sends Waste Act amendment to Parliament: recyclable waste could no longer be collected as energy waste
Finland's government has approved a bill amending the Waste Act. It would ban sorting and collecting recyclable waste as energy waste. Waste holders would have to publish a tender request on an information platform when a service exceeds €2,400 a year, and municipal waste companies could sell services to businesses only where the market fails to provide them. Waste-service providers would also have to give advice on separate collection and sorting.
Sweden's textile consumption rose to 15.2 kg per person in 2025; separate collection of textile waste applies to businesses too
Naturvårdsverket reports that Swedish textile consumption was 15.2 kg per person in 2025, up 1.6 kg from 2024. Since 1 January 2025, textile waste from both households and businesses must be sorted and collected separately, with municipalities responsible for collecting municipal textile waste.
GHG Protocol's Scope 2 revisions now feed into a consolidated consultation planned for Q2 2027
After the Scope 2 consultation closed on 31 January 2026, the Technical Working Group's proposed revisions go to the Independent Standards Board for approval. They will then be included in a consolidated public consultation slated for Q2 2027. That consultation will cover scopes 1, 2 and 3 and actions and market instruments within a joint GHG Protocol–ISO Corporate Standard, with publication slated for Q4 2028. An earlier consultation page had pointed to final Scope 2 publication in 2027.
EU ban on plastic-waste exports to non-OECD countries is due to start this month
Commission plans published in December 2025 state that exports of plastic waste to non-OECD countries will be banned from November 2026. The measure is part of a first set of short-term circularity actions for plastics ahead of the planned Circular Economy Act.
COP31 in Antalya holds event-sustainability and zero-waste certifications, a first for a COP
The UN climate body says COP31 Türkiye has obtained the ISO 20121:2024 event sustainability management certificate and a Zero Waste Certificate ahead of the 9–20 November conference. Complimentary shuttle services will run around the Antalya region during the meeting.