Tampere authority opposes food waste grinders in apartment blocks

Tampere’s environmental protection authority does not support approving in-apartment food waste grinders as a way to collect biowaste, Yle reports. The system has been tested for a year in a student apartment building in Kissanmaa, Tampere.

The grinders, developed by Tampere-based company Ber, send waste to an underground tank. Pirkanmaa Student Housing, known as POAS, had planned to install the system in a new student building in Hervanta, but has put the project on hold while it waits for permits and a final decision.

The authority says the trial did not show that the system solved sorting problems. In the final phase, biowaste made up more than 30 per cent of mixed waste, above the average in Tampere. It also says some food waste requires extra preparation before it can go into a grinder, which could discourage sorting.

Water use is another concern. The trial recorded an average of 4.1 litres per resident per day, equivalent to at least 100,000 litres a year in one apartment building. The authority warns that use would rise if the system became widespread. It has also raised concerns about equipment breakdowns and odours, saying buildings would need to be ready to switch quickly to conventional biowaste bins.

Ber’s chief executive, Joonas Salonen, disputes parts of the authority’s assessment and plans to submit a response. He says biowaste accounted for 25 per cent of mixed waste over the full year, below Tampere’s average. He also says a study by FCG found that the system did not increase the building’s overall water use compared with a similar property.

POAS chief executive Timo Jokinen said the student building already has space for conventional biowaste bins if needed. He considers the system effective but said the organisation would follow the authority’s decision.

The regional waste management authority will decide whether the grinders can be approved as biowaste collection equipment. Pirkanmaa Waste Management plans to conduct one more waste-sorting study at the building before final guidelines are set. Salonen said the trial results should also be compared with those from a similar student building, noting that changes in residents could affect the figures.