Remeo halts waste reception at Ruskos facility in Tampere due to storage excess

At the waste recycling facility operated by Remeo in Ruskos, Tampere, an excess of waste has been stored, leading to the halt of waste reception last Friday. This suspension results from exceeding the storage limits stipulated in the facility’s environmental permit. Remeo’s CEO, Panu Routasalo, acknowledged the lapse by raising his hand in sign of admission.

“Our current storage volume does not meet regulatory requirements,” he stated, although he did not disclose the extent of the overage. At this point, he cannot speculate whether the repeated fires at the site are linked to the excessive waste piles. “It’s too early to comment on the cause of the fire since firefighting efforts are ongoing,” he explained.

A fire broke out at the facility early Tuesday morning, marking the third such incident in a short span. Units were dispatched to extinguish a blaze at the same site just the day before. Routasalo clarified that these incidents are unrelated: “The latest fire appears to have ignited in a different area than previous ones. This is simply a case of unfortunate coincidences.”

According to the Pirkanmaa rescue services, it may take days to extinguish the fire burning inside the facility. Remeo’s recyclable fuel consists of crushed sorted energy and construction waste used as solid fuel for energy and heat production. Flammable materials, such as wood and plastic, are present in the waste piles. Routasalo noted it is possible that some waste was not sorted correctly, which could have contributed to the fire risk.

The rescue services have issued a hazardous alert for the Rusko area, advising residents to stay indoors and close ventilation.