The Ministry of the Environment (Finland) wants old books to fall under producer responsibility, which in practice would mean that books will have the same recycling obligation as, for example, is already laid down for food plastics, glass, electronic waste or textiles.
Currently, According to Yle’s article, a large part of used books ends up in mixed waste in Finland or is burned as energy waste, which is a big step backwards in Finland’s emission goals.
However, the biggest issue is organizing the collection. alternatives are organizing separate collection containers for books or collecting books together with other collection containers for paper.
Of these two, the first option would be the easiest and most cost-effective to implement. Mandatory recycling and sorting of books would also facilitate the reuse of old books as raw material for recycled paper and cardboard after they are no longer needed.
The ministry will start preparatory work during the fall, and the new law is supposed to enter into force during the spring 2024.
https://yle.fi/a/74-20051708
by DaMn96XD