Oily waste from engine room, black/grey water and solid waste are included in the waste management fee.

Waste Notification

The ship sends a duly completed ship-generated waste notification to the Port of Helsinki no later than 24 hours before the arrival.

  • If the vessel needs waste reception service on Sunday or Monday, the notification must be sent by 3 pm on the previous Friday.
  • If the vessel needs waste reception service on Public Holiday(s) or on the day after that, the notification must be sent by 3 pm on the day before the Public Holiday(s).

Based on the waste notification, the Port of Helsinki will arrange the waste management company to collect the waste.

Please open and fill in the form below, save and send to:
Passenger ports: Shipservice(at)portofhelsinki.fi
Vuosaari Harbour: Supervisor.Vuosaari(at)portofhelsinki.fi


Vessel with exemption certificate

If a vessel has an exemption from mandatory delivery of ship-generated waste and from notification of such waste the vessel shall follow the regulation adhere. Exemption certificate has to be applied from maritime authorities.

  • Port of Helsinki has to be informed if the vessel has such a certificate.
  • contact details of waste service provider shall be found in each waste container if the shipping company has its own waste container at the dock area.
  • hazardous waste ( bilge oil, solid oily waste, batteries, paint, solvents) has to be stored in container, which is tight, covered, locked and marked. All liquid hazardous waste must be stored in container with raised boundary or with collecting reservoir.
  • area has to be kept clean at all times.
  • all waste containers has to kept clean at all times

Oily waste ( 20 m3 is included in the waste management fee)

Oily waste is discharged from the vessel into a tank lorry. The pumping rate must be a minimum 5 m3/h and the maximum one time volume cannot exceed 40 m3. The vessel must separate bilge water before delivery. Maximum water content of sludge is 70 %. Waiting time may not exceed 30 minutes.

Safety instructions for discharging:

  • hoses must be in good condition and of sufficient length
  • all couplings and tightness of couplings must be checked
  • effective communication is established between the vessel and tank lorry
  • discharging rate must be agreed on
  • emergency procedures agreed on between the vessel and tank lorry
  • the driver of tank lorry must remain near the lorry at all times
  • absorbent material on site
  • no smoking or naked lights on site during the operation at the area

If the spillage occurs the following actions are to be taken:

  • cease discharging immediately
  • take measures to stop or limit spillage
  • notify Helsinki VTS (VHF 71 or tel: +358 (0)20 4485385)
  • provide incident report to harbour master

Black/grey water (included in the waste management fee)

Grey and black water is discharged from the vessel directly to the city sewage system. The port’s ship service personnel connects the hose at the appointed time. The vessel must use its own pump for discharging and the vessel must have possibilities to flush the hoses after the discharging. Recommended flushing method is pure water. The capacity of sewage system is approximately 80-100m3/hour.

Waste water reception service can be ordered by sending a duly completed ship-generated waste notification to the Port of Helsinki at [email protected] not later than 24 hours before arrival at port. If the ship needs waste water reception service on a Sunday or a Monday, the notification must be sent by 3 pm on the previous Friday. If the vessel needs waste reception service on Public Holiday(s) or on the day after that, the notification must be sent by 3 pm on the day before the Public Holiday(s).

Safety instructions for discharging:

Before discharging:

  • type of the discharging waste water must be agreed on
  • discharging volume is to be agreed on
  • maximum discharging rate is to be agreed on
  • hose flushing method must be agreed on
  • all hoses and connections must be checked
  • safety and emergency instructions must be agreed on
  • readings must be checked
  • back flow valve must be tested

After discharging:

  • readings must be checked
  • hose and lines must be flushed

Solid waste

Solid waste means a household waste and other similar waste generated during the regular ship operation.

Mixed waste (20 m3 included in the waste management fee)

Dimensions (length, width, height) of a wate package may not exceed 1.2 m. Packages should be equipped with labels declaring the content.

The vessel empties its waste into the waste-removal lorry or mixed-waste container on the quay, if there is a small amount of the waste. Waiting time may not exceed 30 minutes.

Sorted waste (20 m3 included in the waste management fee)

Dimensions (length, width, height) of a wate package may not exceed 1.2 m. Packages should be equipped with labels declaring the content.

If sorting has been performed for solid waste, the port must be informed when waste notification is made. Sorted-waste is picked up at the vessel’s shell gate at an appointed time.

Sorting instructions

Metal packaging

  • tins
  • aluminium tins and foil
  • metal lids
  • crown and screw caps
  • soft drink tins
  • No paint tins, aerosols, batteries or other hazardous waste, cables or tubes

Glass packaging

  • empty bottles
  • empty jars
  • No crystal, porcelain, ceramics, window or mirror glass, light bulbs, bottle caps or jarlids.

Cardboard

  • No paper, wet or dirty cardboard, foliated packs, expanded polystyrene or plastic.

Wooden pallets

  • No broken pallets.

Clean plastic packaging

Food waste or international catering waste ( 5 m3 is included in the waste management fee)

The EC regulation 1774/2002 classifies any catering waste from means of transport operating internationally as a hazardous waste (class 1), due to the risk of disease and requires special handling. In this context, international traffic refers to all vessels which call on their route in countries outside the EU. “International catering waste” means food waste onboard and any waste, such as wrapping waste and packaging material which has been in contact with food and food waste. Such waste must be sorted separately onboard. If this catering waste is mixed with other waste, all waste must be handled as class 1 international catering waste according to the regulation. All ships calling outside of EU during the voyage and wanting to deliver international catering waste to the port of Helsinki must make a notification no later than 24 hours before the arrival (notification exceptions for Sundays, Mondays and Public Holidays are presented in the beginning of these Instructions).

Dimensions (length, width, height) of a waste package may not exceed 1.2 m. Packages should be equipped with labels declaring the content.

The Port of Helsinki will make arrangements for receiving and handling such waste according to the official requirements. Waiting time may not exceed 30 minutes.

Other waste categories to be received

Hazardous waste (collection is included in the waste management fee)

Hazardous waste includes batteries, fluorescent tubes, paints, solvents, photographic material, dry cleaning chemicals, medicines and x-ray materials. To deliver hazardous waste to the port of Helsinki, the ship must give a notification of the type and quantity of hazardous waste no later than 24 hours before arrival (notification exceptions for Sundays, Mondays and Public Holidays are presented in the beginning of these Instructions). The Port of Helsinki passes the ship’s order to the waste management company and bills the vessel according to actual costs incurred.

Scrap metal (additional fee)

Scrap metal includes metal pipes and cables, wire ropes, taps, fittings, pullers, nails, metal container, furniture hardware, machinery and equipment made of metal. To deliver scrap metal waste to the port of Helsinki, the ship must give a notification of the type and quantity of scrap metal waste no later than 24 hours before the arrival(notification exceptions for Sundays, Mondays and Public Holidays are presented in the beginning of these Instructions). The Port of Helsinki passes the ships order to the waste management company and bills the vessel according to actual costs incurred.

Electrical and electronic waste (collection is included in the waste management fee)
Electrical and electronic waste includes discarded information and communication equipment, household appliances, consumer electronics, lighting fixtures, electrical and electronic tools, monitoring and control equipment, vending and slot machines. To deliver electrical and electronic waste to the port of Helsinki, the ship must give a notification of the type and quantity of electrical and electronic waste no later than 24 hours before arrival (notification exceptions for Sundays, Mondays and Public Holidays are presented in the beginning of these Instructions). The Port of Helsinki passes the ships order to the waste management company and bills the vessel according to actual costs incurred.

Exhaust gas-cleaning system residues (additional fee)

To deliver exhaust gas-cleaning residues to the port of Helsinki, the ship must give a notification of the type and quantity of waste no later than 24 hours before arrival (notification exceptions for Sundays, Mondays and Public Holidays are presented in the beginning of these Instructions). The Port of Helsinki passes the ships order to the waste management company and bills the vessel according to actual costs incurred.