July 1, 2025
Starting 1 July 2025, cargo ships are banned from discharging toilet wastewater, sulphuric wash water and scrubber sludge into Finnish coastal waters.
This legislative amendment, approved by Parliament in December 2024, makes Finland the first country to implement such comprehensive wastewater regulations for cargo ships, with passenger ships having faced similar bans for years.
The law includes transition periods, greywater from sinks and showers can still be discharged into Finnish coastal waters for nearly five more years and all wastewater discharge remains legal outside Finland’s territorial waters.
As stated, toilet wastewater contains high levels of intestinal bacteria, suspended solids and nutrients that contribute to eutrophication, which is a severe environmental issue causing excessive algae growth, oxygen depletion and harm to marine ecosystems.
