Take surplus apples to Tampere-area sorting centres free to help keep rats away

Pirkanmaan Jätehuolto is advising Tampere region residents this harvest to bring surplus or inedible apples to local sorting centres such as Nokian Koukkujärvi and Tampere’s Tarastenjärvi, free of charge. Leaving fruit on the ground can attract rats.

One trailer load, up to two cubic metres, is accepted free. For smaller amounts, pack them into a bio bag and add them to your household biowaste bin a little at a time, says environmental trainer Liisa Malin. She reminds residents that wheeled waste bins should not exceed 60 kilograms so collectors can empty them safely. Apples can also be composted in a food-waste composter. Mummified apples, meaning fruit affected by mummy disease, should be taken to a sorting centre or discarded in small portions with biowaste or mixed waste.

The centres accept other garden waste by trailer free of charge, but people are asked to keep raking waste, apples and branches separate. The material is then processed into biogas and soil. Visitors can take soil home; a trailer load costs 20 euros. Green soil is available at Koukkujärvi and biomulch at Tarastenjärvi.