Hullo Waste Station Opening Hours
- Monday: 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
- Saturday: 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
An Environmentally Friendly Small Island
Waste management on Vormsi is organized through a year-round integrated system consisting of waste collection sheds located in the villages and the waste station in Hullo. The system is regulated by the municipality’s Waste Management Regulations. Waste management includes both the organized waste collection service and the services provided by the Vormsi Municipal Government through the use of the waste station and the Rumpo disposal site.
The entire territory of Vormsi Municipality forms a single organized waste collection area. Participation in the organized waste collection system is mandatory for all waste holders. Waste collection is carried out through the waste collection sheds located in the villages.
Separate Collection of Waste Is Mandatory
Waste separation is mandatory for everyone at home, in educational institutions, and at workplaces. Waste must also be sorted at public events.
Recycling mixed waste is difficult and considerably more expensive. The main objective of sorting and separate collection is to return as much waste as possible back into circulation—for example, by reusing the same glass bottle or manufacturing a new plastic bottle from recycled plastic packaging. Aluminum beverage cans can be recycled virtually indefinitely, reducing the need for mining raw materials.
Most waste that requires sorting falls into three main categories:
1. Packaging
This category includes:
- Plastic, metal, and beverage cartons
- Intact glass packaging
- Cardboard
Packaging includes items such as bread bags, cereal boxes, and coffee cream containers. Packaging does not need to be washed, but it must be clean enough not to contaminate other waste.
2. Biodegradable Waste
This includes food scraps, potato peelings, garden weeds, leaves, and other organic waste.
Biodegradable waste should be composted and must not be placed together with other waste streams, as it contaminates recyclable materials.
3. Mixed Municipal Waste
This category should be the smallest in volume, as it includes only items that cannot be placed in other categories.
Examples include:
- Broken dishes
- Used pens
- Large bones that do not decompose
- Diapers
- Packaging that cannot be cleaned
Important: Medicines Must Not Be Disposed of as Mixed Waste
Unused or expired medicines are classified as hazardous waste and must be taken to a hazardous waste collection point. Pharmacies also accept unused medicines.
Medicines should never be flushed down the toilet, as they can pollute waterways, harm aquatic organisms, and eventually enter our drinking water supply.
Other Types of Waste Accepted at the Waste Station
In addition to the three main categories above, there are several types of waste that are not generated on a daily basis but can be separately sorted and taken to the waste station.
Hazardous Waste
- Paints
- Varnishes
- Oils
- Medicines
- Plant protection products (pesticides), etc.
Battery and fluorescent lamp collection containers are also available in public locations, usually in shops.
Bulky Waste
- Furniture
- Mattresses
Construction and Demolition Waste
- Polystyrene insulation
- Treated wood
- Sheet glass
- Similar materials
Electronic Waste
- Refrigerators
- Microwave ovens
- Computers
- Air conditioning units
- Similar equipment
Separate Collection of All Usable Textiles and Textile Waste
Since 1 January, local governments have been required to organize the separate collection of textile waste. This means that every resident must have the opportunity to dispose of textile waste within their municipality.
Textiles include:
- Clothing
- Footwear
- Blankets
- Pillows
- Towels
- Curtains
- Other household textiles
What Should Be Done with Textile Waste?
If clothing, shoes, or other textiles are no longer usable, they should be taken to a textile waste collection point.
These may include:
- The waste station
- Public collection containers
- Mobile collection campaigns
For the most up-to-date information about textile waste collection points, please contact the Vormsi Municipal Government.
In Vormsi island
| I want to dispose of | Where to take it | What to keep in mind |
| REUSABLE TEXTILES (clean, undamaged clothing and textiles suitable for reuse) | Hullo Waste Station |
|
| TEXTILE WASTE (worn-out or damaged textiles that are no longer suitable for reuse) | Hullo Waste Station |
|
| TEXTILE WASTE (worn-out or damaged textiles that are no longer suitable for reuse) | Place in the mixed waste container at a Prügimaja or at the Hullo Waste Station. | Textile waste may include textiles that are:
|
| TEXTILE WASTE (worn-out or damaged textiles that are no longer suitable for reuse) | Dispose of it in the hazardous waste container at the Hullo Waste Station. | Suitable textiles that are:
|
| INDUSTRIAL TEXTILE WASTE (e.g. production offcuts and manufacturing waste) | Contact a waste management service provider to arrange an appropriate waste disposal contract. | Industrial textile waste must not be placed in mixed municipal waste containers. |
Note: Dispose of moldy, musty, or moth-damaged textiles in mixed municipal waste. For hygiene reasons, underwear, tights, stockings, and socks should also be disposed of as mixed municipal waste.
Reusable Textiles
If you have clean and undamaged clothes or shoes at home that you no longer need, take them to the nearest clothing collection container or to collection boxes located in second-hand clothing stores. Many shopping centres also have collection bins for used clothing. Occasionally, special collection campaigns for reusable items are organized. Always check what items are accepted before placing them in a container.
The best option is to prevent textiles from becoming waste whenever possible. If textiles can no longer be worn or used—for example, if a shirt has become full of holes or trousers are badly worn—they can still be offered to rag-rug weavers or handicraft groups. Towels, household textiles, pillows, and blankets can also be donated to animal shelters, which are often happy to make use of them.
Textile Waste Generated by Industry
Local municipalities are not required to organize the collection of textile waste generated by textile manufacturing. Companies must separately collect textile waste produced during manufacturing processes and hand it over to a licensed waste management company holding the appropriate environmental permits.
Why Is Separate Collection of Textiles Necessary and What Happens Next?
Instead of ending up in landfill or being incinerated, part of textile waste can be recycled and used to manufacture new products. This helps conserve natural resources and reduce waste generation.
Estonia is also developing textile recycling capacity, moving step by step towards a system where textile waste can be transformed into new value and resources.
The European Union is planning to introduce extended producer responsibility (EPR) for textiles. The main objective is to make producers responsible for the entire life cycle of textile products, including the proper management of used textiles. Under this system, producers will be required to finance the collection, reuse, recycling, and disposal of textile products covered by producer responsibility schemes.
Negotiations on the EU level are ongoing, and once an agreement is reached, the implementation timeline for producer responsibility requirements will become clear.
Biowaste: Food Waste and Garden Waste
- Food waste includes waste generated during food preparation, such as potato and eggshells, tea leaves, and coffee grounds, as well as leftover or spoiled food, including small bones.
- Garden and green waste includes mown grass, fallen leaves, pulled weeds, cut flowers, and hedge trimmings.
Other biodegradable waste may also be collected together with biowaste, such as napkins, paper towels, and soiled cardboard or paper that does not contain adhesive tape.
It is important to remember that biowaste should not be dumped in the forest. This practice encourages the spread of pests and invasive species and can disrupt the natural balance of plant and animal species in the area.
Invasive species such as the Spanish slug (Arion vulgaris) and the black-headed slug can survive the winter in forest habitats and reproduce uncontrollably before returning to home gardens, where food is plentiful.
Composting in a home garden makes it easier to monitor pests and control their spread. Forest dumping can also lead to the spread of invasive plants through seeds and root fragments. Examples include Japanese knotweed, Himalayan balsam, and Canadian goldenrod, as well as fast-growing annual species. Some of these plants have already become naturalised in western Estonia and on the islands.
It is also worth remembering that by removing plant waste from your garden, you are removing valuable nutrients that could otherwise be returned to the soil. By composting, garden waste can be transformed into nutrient-rich compost for ornamental plants and vegetables.
For more information about composting, click HERE.
Responsibilities of Public Event Organisers
When serving food and beverages at public events, only reusable tableware and cutlery may be used.
This means that all single-use items—including cups, plates, forks, and knives made of plastic, biodegradable plastic, or any other disposable material—are not permitted.
In addition, event organisers must ensure the separate collection of waste by providing waste bins that allow visitors to sort their waste.
Please note: This requirement applies to all public events, regardless of whether a permit issued by the local municipality is required for the event or not.
Further information: Lembit Talli, bulding, environment and planning specialist, lembit.talli@vormsi.ee, +372 5323 0718
Map of Vormsi Waste Collection Sheds (Prügimaja) and the Hullo Waste Station
