What Mustankorkea Oy does

Mustankorkea Oy is a municipally-owned waste management company headquartered in Tourula, Jyväskylä, Finland, providing statutory waste services for four Central Finland municipalities: the City of Jyväskylä and the municipalities of Laukaa, Muurame, and Toivakka. Founded in 1998 with biowaste collection dating back to 1996, the company transitioned to full municipal ownership in 2017/2020 and currently employs 34 permanent staff following a 2023 restructuring. Service delivery spans mixed waste, biowaste, hazardous waste, recyclables, garden waste, and construction waste for households, cottage owners, apartment and row-house residents, property managers, businesses, and educational institutions.

The operating core is a circular-economy value chain: residents' biowaste is processed into 98%-methane biogas sold as vehicle fuel, while composting produces Omapiha-branded planting soils, lawn soils, mulch, and aggregates sold at two retail-pickup locations in Jyväskylä and Laukaa. Physical infrastructure comprises a main recycling center (Mustankorkean Lajittelupiha), a smaller Laukaa waste station launched in 2021, ~100 neighborhood collection points, a mobile Kierrätysauto vehicle, and a self-service kiosk deployed in May 2024. The company fleet of 20 collection vehicles runs 17 on its own biogas and 3 on diesel. Supporting services include advisory (Jäteneuvonta with an online jätehaku tool), school education programs (Kierrätysvalmennus), and the OmaJätehuolto online portal.

Revenue is generated through five streams: subscription-style container emptying fees, an annual per-apartment basic fee (perusmaksu), transaction-based disposal fees at recycling sites, unit-priced Omapiha soil and garden product sales, and per-kilogram biogas sales (stable at €1.79/kg). Distribution is direct-to-customer through scheduled collection routes, physical sites, and digital channels. Customer satisfaction is tracked, with a recent four-month NPS of 67.3. In May 2025 the company divested subsidiary MKO Ympäristöpalvelut Oy to Verdis Oy to refocus on core municipal operations.

Name

Mustankorkea Oy

Legal name

Mustankorkea Oy

Website

https://mustankorkea.fi

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Mustankorkea Oy is a municipally-owned Finnish waste management company serving four Central Finland municipalities with statutory waste collection, a biogas plant producing vehicle fuel from biowaste, and the Omapiha retail soil-products brand at two locations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Waste Management

NAICS

Solid Waste Collection (562111), Waste Collection (56211), Remediation and Other Waste Management Services (5629), Other Waste Collection (562119)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953), Sanitary Services (4950), Hazardous Waste Management (4955)

akta.pro primary industry

Container Rental, Delivery & Servicing (Carts/Bins) (BPALAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Yard Waste, Land Clearing & Green Waste Processing (Mulch/Compost Feedstock) (BPALAEAG), Multi-Family / HOA MSW Collection (Apartments, Condos) (EUAIAAAJ), Hazardous Waste & Universal Waste Handling (Batteries, Lamps, Aerosols) (BPABALAE)

Keywords

• Municipal waste management
• Recycling services
• Biogas production
• Soil products
• Bio waste processing

Headquarters

HQ city

Jyväskylä

HQ country

Finland

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Waste Collection Fees: Recurring fees for waste container emptying services for households and businesses. Based on container size and emptying frequency. Includes mixed waste, bio waste, and packaging waste collection.
2. Waste Disposal Fees: Fees charged at recycling sites for waste disposal, including small load fees, large load fees, and day fees for garden waste. Hazardous waste disposal processed by NG Nordic.
3. Soil and Garden Products (Omapiha): Sale of soil products, sand, and stone products from Omapiha locations in Jyväskylä and Laukaa. Includes planting soil, lawn soil, woodchip mulch, and various aggregates.
4. Biogas Sales: Sale of locally produced biogas as vehicle fuel. Biogas price has remained stable between €1.30-1.89 per kg, currently €1.79/kg. Price equivalent to €1.30/L for gasoline and €1.50/L for diesel.
5. Basic Fee (Perusmaksu): Annual apartment-based fee covering household waste management services including maintenance of collection points.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Mustankorkea Oy manages municipal waste services, recycling guidance, biowaste processing, and related digital services for residents. The company operates scheduled waste collection routes, recycling and waste centers, neighborhood collection points, and a mobile recycling vehicle. It converts collected bio waste into locally sold biogas vehicle fuel and Omapiha-branded soil products, closing a regional circular economy loop.

Product overview

Mustankorkea Oy is a municipal waste management company operating as the 'enabler of recycling' (Kierrätyksen mahdollistaja) for Jyväskylä, Laukaa, Muurame, and Toivakka in Central Finland. The company offers a unified portfolio of integrated waste services: waste collection and container emptying for households and businesses, a network of recycling sites (Mustankorkean Lajittelupiha in Jyväskylä and Laukaan Pienjäteasema), neighborhood benefit collection points, and a mobile recycling vehicle (kierrätysauto) for hazardous waste collection. The company's core circular economy products are biogas (biokaasu) — a locally produced, carbon-neutral vehicle fuel — and Omapiha soil products — compost-fertilized soils and mulch made from residents' bio waste. Supporting services include waste advisory (jäteneuvonta) with an online waste search tool and sorting instructions, recycling training programs for schools (kierrätysvalmennus), and the OmaJätehuolto online e-service portal for managing waste orders and accounts. All services are coordinated under the single Mustankorkea Oy brand, with Omapiha serving as the soil-products sub-brand.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Jätehuoltopalvelut (Waste Collection & Management) Comprehensive waste management services including mixed waste collection, bio waste collection, and hazardous waste collection for households and businesses across Jyväskylä, Laukaa, Muurame, and Toivakka. Services include scheduled container emptying, waste transportation, and disposal processing.
• Biokaasu (Biogas) Locally produced renewable vehicle fuel made from residents' bio waste. Mustankorkean's biogas is carbon-neutral, locally sourced, and priced stably between €1.30–€1.89 per kilogram (currently €1.79/kg), serving as a traffic fuel alternative to petrol and diesel.
• Omapiha Multatuotteet (Omapiha Soil Products) Omapiha is Mustankorkean's soil product sub-brand, producing compost-fertilized, nutrient-rich soil from bio waste. Products include planting soil (istutusmulta), lawn soil (nurmikkomulta), woodchip mulch, and various stone and sand products sold at Omapiha Jyväskylä and Omapiha Laukaa locations.
• Mustankorkean Lajittelupiha (Mustankorkea Sorting/Recycling Site) The main recycling center in Jyväskylä where residents can bring various waste types. Open weekdays 7:00-19:00, summer Saturdays 9:00-14:00. Accepts both free recyclable waste and paid waste loads with a self-service kiosk and staffed customer service lane.
• Laukaan Pienjäteasema (Laukaa Small Waste Station) A local waste collection station serving Laukaa and neighboring areas. Open year-round with extended summer hours (summer weekdays 14:00-19:00). Accepts mixed waste, recyclables, hazardous waste, and electronic devices from residents with vehicles.
• Hyötykeräyspisteet (Benefit Recycling Collection Points) Neighborhood recycling collection points serving single-family homes and small apartment buildings, collecting carton, glass packaging, and metal. These complement Rinki eco-points and are maintained by Mustankorkea at approximately 100 locations across the operating region.
• Kierrätysauto (Mobile Recycling Vehicle) A mobile collection vehicle that travels through neighborhoods twice a year (spring and autumn), collecting hazardous household waste and electrical equipment from residents free of charge. The autumn 2026 route covers central Jyväskylä (Taulumäki) and Kuokkala.
• Itsepalveluautomaatti (Self-Service Kiosk) at Mustankorkea Sorting Site Self-service automation machine at the Mustankorkea recycling site allowing customers to pay and receive sorting instructions without staff assistance. Two lanes now serve customers: a customer service lane and a self-service lane.
• Jäteneuvonta (Waste Advisory Services) Advisory services including waste search tool (jätehaku), sorting instructions for all waste types, recycling training for schools and kindergartens, and educational materials including a composting guide.
• Kierrätysvalmennus (Recycling Training Programs) Educational programs for schools and kindergartens including basic packages, kindergarten tours, recycling lessons for third graders, bus tours, and a youth enterprise village program (Yrityskylä).
• OmaJätehuolto (Online E-Services Portal) Mustankorkean's online service portal allowing customers to order waste collection, change addresses, modify emptying schedules, establish shared waste containers (jätekimppa), submit composting notices, and provide road access permits.

Quantifiable outcome

• Bio waste reduced from 23% to 15% in mixed waste through better sorting
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Verdis OyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 May 2025Verdis Oy acquired MKO Ympäristöpalvelut Oy shares on May 28, 2025. MKO Ympäristöpalvelut Oy was previously part of Mustankorkea group's operations.
• NG NordiccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNG Nordic handles dangerous waste processing for Mustankorkea. Dangerous waste collected at recycling sites is packaged and delivered to NG Nordic for treatment - processed safely and utilized as energy or disposed in hazardous waste facility.
• RINKI (Suomen Pakkauskierrätys Rinki Oy)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRINKI is a service company that helps packaging companies fulfill their producer responsibility obligations. RINKI operates RINKI eco-points collecting packaging waste including plastic. Mustankorkea collection points supplement RINKI's network.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• HSY (Helsinki Region Environmental Services): Joint municipal authority providing waste management and water services for the Helsinki metropolitan area. Functions as a much larger, broader incumbent in the same Finnish municipal waste-management space with overlapping collection, recycling, and advisory capabilities.
• Ragn-Sells Group: Nordic waste and recycling company with operations across Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Estonia, and Latvia, including biogas/recovery activities. Comparable as a Nordic circular-economy player with overlapping collection, recycling, and material recovery capabilities, though at much larger and broader scale.

Direct peers

• Stormossen Oy Ab: Waste management company for the Vaasa / Ostrobothnia region offering collection, recycling stations, and treatment. Directly comparable regional municipal waste operator with similar service breadth.
• Kiertokapula Oy: Häme region municipal waste company providing waste collection, recycling stations, and hazardous-waste services to households. Directly comparable in mandate, ownership structure, and service portfolio to Mustankorkea.
• Jätekukko Oy: Municipal waste management company serving the Kuopio / North Savo region of Finland. Operates the same model of municipally-owned waste collection, recycling stations, and advisory services — a close structural twin to Mustankorkea.
• Lakeuden Etappi Oy: Municipal waste management company serving South Ostrobothnia with waste collection, recycling, and processing services. Comparable as a regional municipal waste utility offering the same mix of collection, recycling stations, and household advisory.
• Rosk'n Roll Oy Ab: Municipal waste management company for Western Uusimaa, providing household waste collection, eco-points, and recycling stations. Comparable structure (municipally owned) and service portfolio.
• Metsäsairila Oy: Municipal waste company in the Mikkeli / South Savo region handling household and business waste collection plus material recovery. Operates a similar statutory municipal-utility mandate to Mustankorkea in a comparable Finnish regional setting.
• Puhas Oy: Municipal waste company serving the Kainuu region in Finland, offering waste collection, recycling, and treatment services to households and businesses. Closely comparable as a regional Finnish municipal waste utility.

Emerging players

• Verdis Oy: Finnish environmental services company that acquired Mustankorkea's former subsidiary MKO Ympäristöpalvelut Oy in May 2025. Comparable emerging player in Finnish waste/environmental services, with direct historical linkage to Mustankorkea.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/mustankorkea
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@mustankorkeaoy
• Facebookfacebook.com/Mustankorkea
• Instagraminstagram.com/mustankorkea
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mustankorkea-oy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Mustankorkea Oy