It will be illegal for cargo ships to discharge toilet wastewater, sulphuric wash water and scrubber sludge into Finnish coastal waters starting Tuesday, 1 July.
Parliament approved the legislative amendment in December 2024, making Finland the world's first country to implement such comprehensive wastewater regulations. For passenger ships, these practices have already been prohibited for years.
However, the law includes long transition periods. Greywater — such as water from sinks and showers — may still be discharged into Finnish coastal waters for almost five more years. It will also remain legal to discharge all wastewater outside Finland’s territorial waters.
Toilet wastewater discharged into the sea by ships contains large amounts of intestinal bacteria and suspended solids. The nutrient content of discharged wastewater is also very high.
These nutrients cause eutrophication — a serious environmental problem where excess runoff fuels algae growth, depletes oxygen, and damages marine ecosystems. This can trigger blue-green algae blooms, as the wastewater nutrients feed the algae directly.
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