Guidance

Intensive farming: pollution inventory reporting

Updated 29 November 2024

Applies to England

• Publication for Northern Ireland
• Publication for Scotland
• Publication for Wales

If you operate an intensive livestock farm regulated by the Environmental Permitting Regulations, you will need to submit data to the pollution inventory.

The ‘general guidance’ available in the pollution inventory reporting: guidance notes gives information that applies to all business and industries. It explains what the pollution inventory is and how to report.

This guidance gives information specific to intensive farming operations.

How to complete Part 1 of the reporting form

We recommend that you submit your report online using the pollution inventory electronic data capture (PIEDC) system.

Check how to send your pollution inventory return.

Question 1.5: your NACE and NOSE-P codes

Your NACE code describes the main economic activity at your site. For intensive farming, this is likely to be one of the following:

• 01.46 - raising of swine or pigs
• 01.47 - raising of poultry

Your NOSE-P code describes the main polluting process at your site. For pigs and poultry enter: 110.05 - manure management for manure and slurry stores

For pigs, you also need to enter: 110.04 - enteric fermentation

If relevant, you should include NOSE-P codes for other polluting processes on your site. For example: 109.03 - incineration of animal carcasses and animal waste (incinerators larger than 50 kg only).

A full list is available in the ‘reporting codes list’ in the pollution inventory reporting guidance.

Question 1.6

E-PRTR codes (also known as UK-PRTR codes) refer to the main activity that occurs on your site. For intensive farming, these are:

7. (a)(i) installations for the intensive rearing of poultry or pigs

(i) with 40,000 places for poultry
(ii) with 2,000 places for production pigs (over 30 kg)
(iii) with 750 places for sows

How you should complete parts 2 to 5: releases and transfers

Parts 2 to 5 require you to tell us how much of a substance your installation has released to different media (air, land, and water) during the previous calendar year.

Note the following:

• the list of substances on the pollution inventory reporting form includes substances released from all processes regulated by EPR - the majority will not be applicable for farms
• if you are aware that your installation has released additional substances, please report these in the relevant table
• for each substance reported you need to calculate the amount released - do this by multiplying the actual number of livestock places used on your site for the calendar year by the relevant emission factor (your permit specifies a maximum number of places, the number of places used may be lower than your permitted capacity)
• for each substance entered there’s a reporting threshold (given after substance common name) – if the release amount calculated is below the reporting threshold (‘brt’), you can enter either the actual value or write ‘brt’ in the Total Releases column
• if the release amount calculated is above the reporting threshold, then you must enter the actual amount released in the Total Releases column
• enter ‘C’ for calculated in the method column for each substance reported (assuming all values are calculated)
• enter the unit kg in the Metric Unit column
• you do not need to enter anything for substances that you are not reporting - leave them blank

Part 2: releases to air

You should report releases for all substances released from your installation. The substances which are most likely to have been released are:

• ammonia
• methane
• nitrogen oxides
• particulate matter (PM10) (poultry only)

Use this as a guide only and check that there are no other pollutants emitted from your activities.

Ammonia

Calculate the number of livestock places used on your site for the reporting year and multiply by the relevant emission factor. Check the standard ammonia emission factors for pig and poultry screening, modelling and reporting. Otherwise, use the emission factor stated in your permit for these calculations if you:

• operate a housing system which not listed in the standard emission factors for pigs and poultry
• agreed a site-specific emission factor during the permitting process for your farm

You should do this calculation for livestock housing and for manure and slurry storage where manure and slurry is removed from the livestock house and stored on the site. Storage can be either in the open or under cover. You do not need to include field heaps and wash water tanks. If applicable, you need to add the housing, manure storage and slurry storage (pigs only) numbers to give an overall ammonia emission.

If you have livestock in different types of housing on your site, you need to work out the places for the different housing and add them together. Remember to check that the number of places in different housing types matches the total number of places used on the site. This might be less than the maximum number allowed by your permit.

If your livestock numbers varied during the year, you should work out what the emissions were for each month or group of months. This will depend on the number of livestock reared and the relevant emission factor. You can then add up the monthly values to calculate the figure for the year. We suggest you use Equation 1, as this takes account of changes in emission factor if the type of animal reared changed.

Equation 1: Annual emissions (kg) = ((N1 × F) ÷ 12 × M) + ((N2 × F) ÷ 12 × M)

Where:

• Nx = number of livestock for each part of the year
• F = relevant emission factor
• M = months applicable

This equation can be extended to find a different value for up to 12 separate months, if necessary.

Example 1: poultry

A broiler farm has 50,000 birds for the first five months of the year and 100,000 birds for the remaining seven months. The ammonia emission factor for broilers is 0.034. The ammonia calculation would be:

((50,000 × 0.024) ÷ 12 × 5) + ((100,000 × 0.024) ÷ 12 × 7)

= 1,900 kg

Example 2: manure and storage of manure

A farm has both poultry and pigs, and needs to calculate releases from manure and storage of manure.

17 tonnes of poultry manure, stored outside the layer house from belt system.

17 × emission factor of 2.68

= total release of 45.56 kg

Storage of 113 tonnes of fresh pig manure.

113 × emission factor of 0.85

= total release of 96.05 kg

Example 3: emissions from pig housing

A farm which used places for 800 sows and 1,500 finishers on straw in the calendar year.

(800 × emission factor of 3.29) + (1,500 × emission factor of 1.888)

= total release of 5,464 kg

If manure or slurry are stored within the boundary of the site, then add releases from them to the main housing releases.

Example 4: pig slurry storage

A slurry lagoon of 43 m² with a floating cover.

43 × emission factor of 0.45

= total release of 19.35 kg

Methane

Calculate the number of livestock places used for the reporting year and multiply by the relevant methane emission factor. Emission factors are given at the end of this guidance.

If your emissions are above the 10,000 kg reporting threshold then you need to enter the actual calculated amount in the Total Releases column. If they are less than 10,000 kg, you can enter either ‘brt’ or the value you have calculated.

For poultry, you only need to report methane where you store manure on the site outside of livestock housing. Multiply your used capacity by an emission factor of 0.078.

Example 6: an installation with 50,000 broilers

50,000 broilers × 0.078 = 3,900 kg

This is less than the 10,000 kg reporting threshold, so you can enter either ‘brt’ or 3,900.

If you have other sources of methane, you need to add these to 3,900 – this may bring your total releases to above the threshold.

Example 7: an installation with 130,000 broilers

130,000 broilers × 0.078 = 10,140 kg

This is above the reporting threshold, so you should enter 10,140.

For pigs, you need to add two calculations:

• for enteric fermentation - multiply your used capacity by the emission factor of 1.5
• for manure management - multiply your used capacity by the emission factor of 3
• add the values together

Example 8: an installation with 800 sows

(800 × 1.5) + (800 × 3) = 3,600 kg

This is less than 10,000 so enter either ‘brt’ or 3,600.

If you have other sources of methane, you need to add these to 3,600 – this may bring your total releases to above the threshold.

Example 9: an installation with 2,300 finishers

(2,300 × 1.5) + (2,300 × 3) = 10,350 kg

This is above the reporting threshold, so you should enter 10,350.

Nitrogen oxides

This includes nitrogen oxides, NO and NO₂, as NO₂. Most intensive farming sites will release a quantity of nitrogen oxides below the reporting threshold. In this case, write ‘brt’ in the total releases column. You do not need to make further calculations. If you know the quantity you released and it exceeds the reporting threshold, you must write the actual value. If it is below the threshold, you can either enter the value or write ‘brt’. If you can confirm that you did not release nitrogen oxides, you do not need to enter anything in this field. We may ask you to supply further information.

Particulate matter – PM10

For poultry, multiply the number of livestock places used by the relevant dust emission factor figure. Emission factors are given at the end of this guidance. Then divide by 3 to get a value for PM10 (a type of dust).

If your emissions are above the 1,000 kg reporting threshold then you need to enter the amount in the total releases column. If they are less than 1,000 kg enter either the number you have calculated or ‘brt’.

For pigs, particulate matter is not normally expected. Unless you have information to the contrary, you can leave the column blank.

Example 10: an installation with 50,000 egg layers in cages

(50,000 × emission factor of 0.05) ÷ 3 = 833 kg

This is less than 1,000 so enter either ‘brt’ or 833.

Example 11: an installation with 50,000 broilers

(50,000 × emission factor of 0.1) ÷ 3 = 1,667 kg

This is above the reporting threshold, so you should enter 1,667.

Part 3: releases to land

You should not have any releases so leave this section blank. If you carry out other activities which do result in releases to land, you need to calculate and report these accordingly.

Parts 4 and 5: releases to controlled waters and off-site transfers in wastewater

If your permit specifies substances that can be released from your site to controlled waters, or you remove wastewater, complete the relevant boxes in these sections.

Part 6: off-site waste transfers

You must tell us about any waste you are sending off site. We need to know what type of waste it is and what type of disposal or recovery operation it’s being sent to or for.

This includes manure and slurry sent for disposal or recovery such as to a power station. It excludes manure and slurry sent off site for land spreading.

You do not need to report whole animal carcasses as they are not classified as waste under the Waste Framework Directive. You should continue to report any other animal tissue waste.

For non-hazardous waste, there is an annual reporting threshold of 5 tonnes per waste type, per disposal or recovery operation. If the tonnage is below the threshold, you can enter either ‘brt’ or write the actual tonnage. If the tonnage is greater than 5 tonnes per waste type, you must give the actual value.

All hazardous waste transfers must be reported regardless of tonnage.

Your Waste Transfer Notes should contain the information required to complete this section. We recommend you keep a running total of transfers through the year, so this is easier to complete when it comes to completing your submission.

You need to classify your waste according to the European Waste Catalogue (EWC) codes. Use the relevant Waste Framework Directive Disposal and Recovery (D&R) codes to tell us where the waste is going. We have provided the EWC and D&R codes most commonly used for waste from intensive farms at the end of this section. You may require other codes which are not listed here.

Fill in the grid with the relevant quantities of waste in tonnes per EWC and D&R code. Enter whether the weight was determined by estimation, weighing, or calculation in the boxes under the table.

Example 12 – waste from a broiler farm

A broiler farm sent 2,000 tonnes of litter to a power station for incineration. The remainder of their litter was sent to another farm for land spreading. The litter sent for incineration will need reporting (as it’s a reportable waste and exceeds 5 tonnes). The litter sent for land spreading does not need to be reported. Litter has the EWC code 02 01 06. Incineration at a power station is D&R code R1.

The farm produced 7 tonnes of whole carcasses. These do not need to be reported.

If the farm has an incinerator, they need to report the production of incinerator ash (19 01 12). If it’s less than 5 tonnes it will be ‘brt’, but you can give the actual value. This waste is sent to landfill, so it will have a D&R code of D1.

The farm also has 50 kg of waste generator oil. This is hazardous waste so the weight must be reported. The farm sends it for re-refining or reuse. It has the EWC code of 13 02 08 and D&R code of R9.

Other wastes produced on the farm are:

• plastic bale twine (02 01 04)
• cardboard (15 01 01)
• wooden pallets (15 01 03)
• protective clothing (15 02 03)

The quantities of these are all less than 5 tonnes, so you can enter ‘brt’ or give the actual values. They go to landfill which has a D&R code of D1.

Table 1 is an example of how the form could be completed, with all quantities as tonnes.

Table 1: Demonstration of how to complete Part 6 with the information in Example 12. Several cells are blank: this is where nothing needs to be entered.

EWC code	R1	R9	D1
02 01 06	2,000
13 02 08		0.05
02 01 04			brt
15 01 01			brt
15 01 03			brt
15 02 03			brt
19 01 12			brt

Waste disposal codes you might need

You should classify your waste according to List of Wastes Regulations codes. We have provided a list of selected codes that are applicable to intensive farm activities. Use this list as a guide only and check the full list to identify if you remove any other wastes.

Wastes most commonly removed from intensive farms are:

• wastes from agriculture, horticulture, aquaculture, forestry, hunting and fishing (sub-division 02 01)
  • 02 01 01 sludges from washing and cleaning (non-hazardous)
  • 02 01 02 animal-tissue waste (non-hazardous)
  • 02 01 03 plant-tissue waste (non-hazardous)
  • 02 01 04 waste plastics (except packaging) (non-hazardous)
  • 02 01 06 animal faeces, urine and manure (including spoiled straw), effluent, collected separately and treated off-site (non-hazardous)
  • 02 01 09 agrochemical waste other than those mentioned in 02 01 08 (non-hazardous)
  • 02 01 10 waste metal (non-hazardous)
  • 02 01 99 wastes not otherwise specified (non-hazardous)
• wastes from the preparation and processing of meat, fish and other foods of animal origin (sub-division 02 02)
  • 02 02 02 animal-tissue waste
• wastes from power stations and other combustion plants (except 19) (sub-division 10 01)
  • 10 01 01 bottom ash, slag and boiler dust (excluding boiler dust mentioned in 10 01 04) (non-hazardous)
• waste engine, gear and lubricating oils (sub-division 13 02)
  • 13 02 05 mineral-based non-chlorinated engine, gear and lubricating oils (hazardous)
  • 13 02 08 other engine, gear and lubricating oils (hazardous)
• packaging (including separately collected municipal packaging waste) (sub-division 15 01)
  • 15 01 01 paper and cardboard packaging (non-hazardous)
  • 15 01 02 plastic packaging (non-hazardous)
  • 15 01 03 wooden packaging (non-hazardous)
  • 15 01 04 metallic packaging (non-hazardous)
  • 15 01 05 composite packaging (non-hazardous)
  • 15 01 06 mixed packaging (non-hazardous)
  • 15 01 07 glass packaging (non-hazardous)
• absorbents, filter materials, wiping cloths and protective clothing (sub-division 15 02)
  • 15 02 03 absorbents, filter materials, wiping cloths and protective clothing other than those mentioned in 15 02 02 (non-hazardous)
• end-of-life vehicles from different means of transport (including off-road machinery) and wastes from dismantling of end-of-life vehicles and vehicle maintenance (except 13, 14, 16 06 and 16 08) (sub-division 16 01)
  • 16 01 03 end-of-life tyres (non-hazardous)
  • 16 01 17 ferrous metal (non-hazardous)
  • 16 01 20 glass (non-hazardous)
• batteries and accumulators (sub-division 16 06)
  • 16 06 01 lead batteries (hazardous)
  • 16 06 04 alkaline batteries (except 16 06 03) (non-hazardous)
• insulation materials and asbestos- containing construction materials (sub-division 17 06)
  • 17 06 01 insulation materials containing asbestos
• wastes from research, diagnosis, treatment or prevention of disease involving animals (sub-division 18 02)
  • 18 02 01 sharps (except 18 02 02) (non-hazardous)
  • 18 02 03 wastes whose collection and disposal is not subject to special requirements in order to prevent infection (non-hazardous)
  • 18 02 08 medicines other than those mentioned in 18 02 07 (non-hazardous)
• wastes from incineration or pyrolysis of waste (sub-division 19 01)
  • 19 01 12 bottom ash and slag (not containing dangerous substances) (non-hazardous)
• municipal wastes including separately collected fractions (sub-division 20 01)
  • 20 01 21 fluorescent tubes and other mercury-containing waste (hazardous)
• other municipal wastes (sub-division 20 03)
  • 20 03 01 mixed municipal waste (non-hazardous)

Waste framework directive disposal and recovery (D&R) codes you might need

We have listed the D&R codes most commonly used by intensive farms. You should check the list, as a different code might be more suitable for your waste.

• D1 deposit into or onto land (for example, landfill)
• D10 incineration on land
• R1 use principally as a fuel or other means to generate energy
• R3 recycling/reclamation of organic substances which are not used as solvents (including rendering, composting and other biological transformation processes)
• R4 recycling/reclamation of metals and metal compounds
• R5 recycling/reclamation of other inorganic materials
• R9 oil re-refining or other reuses of oil
• R10 land treatment resulting in benefit to agriculture or ecological improvement

Emission factors you might need

Check the ammonia emission factors for pig and poultry screening, modelling and reporting for the relevant standard ammonia emission factors for:

• pig and poultry housing
• slurry and manure storage

Methane from poultry

Emission factors are kilograms of methane (kg CH₄) per animal place per year.

• manure management: 0.078

Dust from poultry

Emission factors are kilograms of dust per animal place per year.

• layers, perchery or aviary: 0.1
• layers, cage: 0.05
• broilers: 0.1
• turkeys (male): 0.9
• turkeys (female): 0.5
• ducks: 0.2
• pullets: 0.1

Methane from pig farms

Emission factors are kilograms of methane (kg CH₄) per animal place per year.

• enteric fermentation: 1.5
• manure management: 3.0