Collection Systems in Estonia 🇪🇪
About
Estonia operates a container-based separation system with separate streams for different packaging materials. Municipal variation exists, especially for mixed vs. separate packaging containers.
Collection Streams
Plastic & Metal Packaging + Beverage Cartons (Yellow)
What goes in:
- Plastic film & bags, trays/tubs, bottles, plastic canisters
- Metal cans, metal/plastic lids & caps, aluminium cans
- Product-protection foam/polystyrene
- Beverage cartons (milk/juice/yoghurt/wine etc., incl. composite cartons)
What does NOT go in:
- Packaging with product still inside
- Baking paper
- Plastic toys
- Chemical-containing packaging
- Diapers/sanitary products
- Deposit-marked bottles
- Non-packaging plastic/rubber items
- Construction materials
Notes:
- Packaging should be empty and (where needed) quickly rinsed
- If it can't be cleaned from food residues, put it in residual waste
Paper & Cardboard Packaging (Blue)
What goes in:
- Cardboard boxes (even with tape)
- Paper bags
- Wrapping paper
- Clean food paper/cardboard packaging
What does NOT go in:
- Very dirty or soaked packaging
- Non-packaging paper (newspapers, magazines, books, office paper)
- Wallpaper
- Tissue paper
- Foil/plastic-lined paper packaging
- Beverage cartons
- Egg cartons
Notes:
- If your area doesn't have a dedicated paper-packaging container, this packaging can usually go to the mixed packaging container instead
Glass Packaging (Green)
What goes in:
- Bottles and jars (soft drink / alcohol bottles)
- Jam/soup jars
- Glass oil bottles
- Perfume/cosmetics bottles
- Supplement jars
What does NOT go in:
- Window/flat/mirror glass
- Light bulbs
- Ceramics/crystal/porcelain/clay
- Heat-resistant ovenware/coffee pots
- Optical glass
Notes:
- If there's no glass-packaging container, glass packaging may be accepted in mixed packaging (where stated on the container/municipal guidance)
Bio-waste (Kitchen)
What goes in:
- Food scraps, spoiled food, fruit/veg peels
- Meat/fish waste & bones
- Coffee grounds + paper filters
- Household paper/napkins
- Cut flowers
- Houseplants without pot
- Paper-pulp egg trays (compostable packaging)
What does NOT go in:
- Regular plastic bags
- Food packaging
- Cat litter
- Ash
- Cigarette butts
- Liquid food waste/soups
- Cooking oil
- Large bones
- Baking paper
- Medicines
- Diapers/sanitary products
- Vacuum bags
- Candles
- Artificial flowers
- Plant/salad pots
Notes:
- Packaging vs non-packaging: only compostable paper/pulp items belong here—not plastic packaging
- Some municipalities allow home composting instead of using a bio-bin (check local rules)
Bio-waste (Garden)
What goes in:
- Leaves
- Grass clippings
- Weeds
- Spoiled garden vegetables
- Small branches
- Cut flowers
What does NOT go in:
- Synthetic twine
- Fleece/fabric covers
- Bird netting
- Plastic mulch film
- Plant pots
Notes:
- Municipal variation matters: some municipalities collect garden + kitchen bio together, others keep them separate, or accept garden waste in seasonal bags/collections
- Home composting is also common
Residual Waste
What goes in:
- Diapers, sanitary products
- Cat litter
- Cooled ash
- Vacuum dust bag
- Cigarette butts
- Broken dishes/ceramics
- Candles
- Chewing gum
- Heavily dirty/greasy packaging
- Dirty paper/cardboard
- Aluminium foil
What does NOT go in:
- Food waste (→ bio-waste)
- Garden waste (→ garden/bio)
- Empty packaging (→ packaging recycling)
- Hazardous waste
- Medicines
- Batteries
- Electronics/e-devices
- E‑cigarettes
- Liquids (e.g. used cooking oil)
- Construction waste
- Bulky items
Notes:
- Dusty/smelly/light items (ash, cat litter, sweepings, pet faeces) should be bagged; heavier items can go in loose
- Mixed waste is generally incinerated for energy or landfilled after sorting, so keep recyclables and bio-waste out
Deposit Return Scheme (DRS)
What goes in:
- Many beverage bottles/cans (glass/plastic/metal) with deposit marking returned to shop return machines / return points
What does NOT go in:
- Non-deposit containers
- Containers without deposit marking
Notes:
- Deposit applies to many beer/low-alcohol/cider/soft drink containers
- Return via deposit system (operator: Eesti Pandipakend)
- Do not put deposit containers into packaging bins if you can return them for deposit
Batteries & Accumulators
What goes in:
- Household batteries and accumulators → battery collection boxes in shops, recycling centre, or municipal collection round
What does NOT go in:
- Not in residual
Notes:
- Tape over lithium battery terminals if possible (fire risk) and keep dry
- Follow local guidance
Electrical & Electronic Waste (WEEE)
What goes in:
- Small devices → shop collection box / recycling centre
- Large appliances → recycling centre / collection round
- Often 1:1 take-back when buying a new appliance
- E‑cigarettes
What does NOT go in:
- Not in residual
- Not in packaging bins
Notes:
- E‑cigarettes are treated as e-waste (and/or hazardous depending on local setup), and should go via the dedicated channels
Textiles (Usable)
What goes in:
- Clean, dry, intact clothes
- Clean dry shoes
- Clean dry home textiles (curtains, bedding, towels, fabric)
What does NOT go in:
- Dirty/wet/mouldy items
- Broken textiles
- Other household goods
- Other waste
Notes:
- Often collected via textile containers, municipal drop-off points, charities, reuse shops
- This is reuse, not 'waste' if still usable
Textiles (Unusable)
What goes in:
- Broken/heavily worn/heavily dirty clothing, shoes, home textiles
What does NOT go in:
- Usable good-quality textiles
- Other waste
Notes:
- Typically accepted at municipal recycling centres / waste stations (jäätmejaam)
Household Hazardous Waste
What goes in:
- Old medicines
- Paint/solvent/glue chemicals
- Acids/bases
- Pesticides
- Fluorescent tubes/mercury-containing lamps
- Hazardous oils
- Hazardous detergents
- Hazardous-substance packaging
- Asbestos-containing materials
What does NOT go in:
- Never in normal bins
- Don't mix different hazardous wastes together
Notes:
- Usually handled via municipal recycling centres and periodic hazardous waste collection rounds
- Medicines are accepted by pharmacies
Bulky Waste
What goes in:
- Furniture
- Large mirrors
- Carpets
- Mattresses
What does NOT go in:
- Not in residual (size/handling risk)
Notes:
- Many municipalities run scheduled bulky collections or accept at jäätmejaam
Medicines
What goes in:
- Expired/unneeded medicines (household) → pharmacy (and sometimes also recycling centre/hazardous point)
What does NOT go in:
- Not in residual
- Not in bio
Notes:
- Keep in original packaging if possible
- Follow pharmacy instructions
Used Cooking Oil
What goes in:
- Typically accepted at recycling centres / civic amenity sites where offered
Notes:
- Check local acceptance list
Paper Recycling (Non-Packaging)
What goes in:
- Newspapers, magazines, catalogues/leaflets
- Notebooks without plastic covers
- Office paper, cardboard, kraft paper
- Envelopes without plastic windows
- Old books
What does NOT go in:
- Dirty/wet paper or cardboard
- Household paper/tissues
- Used paper dishes
- Carbon paper
- Stickers/tape
- Foil/wax paper
- Candy/ice-cream wrappers
- Wallpaper
- Laminated/plastic-coated paper
- Beverage cartons
- Egg cartons
Notes:
- Important: don't put 'vanapaber' into the paper-packaging container—containers can be packaging-only
- Always follow the container label
What Gets Collected
Accepted Items
- • Packaging materials (varies by stream)
- • Empty and clean containers
- • Material-specific items
Not Accepted
- • Non-packaging items
- • Contaminated materials
- • Hazardous containers with contents
Regional Variations
Collection systems in Estonia may vary by municipality or region. Local sorting capabilities, collection infrastructure, and acceptance criteria can differ significantly even within the same country.
Important Notes
Packaging vs. non-packaging distinction is critical in Estonia—yellow bins accept only packaging, not all plastics or metals.
Empty and clean requirements apply—packaging should be empty and (where needed) quickly rinsed.
Regional variations exist for mixed vs. separate packaging containers—this is the #1 municipal variation in Estonia.
Deposit return system covers many beverage containers—return them for deposit rather than placing in packaging bins.
Sources
Collection system information is based on national and regional guidelines. For the most current and location-specific information, consult local waste management authorities.