Waste Exemptions-What are they, when can they be used?

Waste Exemptions-What are they, when can they be used?

Ever wondered what an waste exemption is. Well its an waste activity which is exempt from the permitting regulations due to the risk level it poses to the environment. Each of these exemption are like there permitted counter parts which have limits and conditions that you must meet when operating.
There are even some exemptions that you do not need to register with the Environment Agency (EA) these are;

• Temporary storage of waste at the place of production-Storing waste at the site where it was produced. Also carrying out limited treatments like compacting and baling to help with storage or collection, before it is taken away.
• Temporary storage of waste at a place controlled by the producer-Temporarily storing waste that you produced somewhere else, at a secure place that you control. For example, a builder who carries out work and takes the waste back to a skip at their main yard, which is collected when full.
• Temporary storage of waste at a collection point- Temporarily storing waste at a collection point before recovering or disposing of the waste elsewhere. This must not be a paid-for service or done by a waste collection business. An example of a collection point is a pharmacy collecting out-of-date medicines returned by patients.

And there is only one that you need to pay for, the T11 Weee (waste electrical and electronic equipment) exemption.

Types of exemption

Exemptions are broken down in to 4 main groups which are ‘S’ for Storing waste, ‘T’ for treating waste, ‘U’ for using waste and ‘D’ for disposing of waste. Some of these exemptions can be used in conjunction with each other however you cannot register multiple exemptions to circumnavigate the need for a permit if you are carrying out an permittable operation.

An operator/organisation cannot register more than one of the same exemption at the same place at the same time. Only the first registration will be valid. What this means is you cannot register two S1 exemptions at the same location and operate them, only one will be valid and the EA will remove the 2nd from the public register.

Not complying with the exemption conditions

You may possibly receive a visit from the EA during the period your exemption is registered. They will inspect your activities to ensure that they are compliant with the limits and conditions of the exemption.

If you do not operate within the limits and conditions of your exemption, you will not be exempt and your activity will be illegal. The Environment Agency may de-register your exemption. They may also take enforcement action, especially if your activity harms people or the environment

Exemptions last for 3 years and you will receive a notification from the EA when the exemption is due to expire.

Registration

To register an exemption the information you will need to have is:
• the exemptions you want to register (for example, S3 the storage of sludge)
• the name, address and contact details of the person, business or organisation carrying out the waste operation
• the site address and postcode where the exemption will be used, or a National Grid reference (for example, ST 58132 72695)
• for a limited company or limited liability partnership, the company registration number and registered address

If you are unsure if your waste activity qualifies as exempt from the Environmental Permitting Regulations then please don’t hesitate to call. At umbrella we can help guide you through this process.

Contact on andrew@umbrellaenvironmental.co.uk or 07498671713.