04 Waste codes
04 wastes are from the leather, fur and textile industries. Your permit lists the 04 waste codes you can use. You must follow the guidance given in the Before you start section.
04 01 waste codes are from the leather and fur industry.
04 01 07 Sludges from on-site effluent treatment free of chromium
You can use this waste if you hold SR2010 No 4 – see table 2.2B.
04 01 07 includes waste from processing hides and fellmonger sludges.
In your deployment application use the waste code and description 04 01 07 Sludges from on-site effluent treatment free of chromium. State if it is waste from processing hides and fellmonger sludges.
Wastes from processing hides and fellmonger sludges
These wastes come from primary processing and curing animal hides. Hides are changed into leather by 2 main methods:
- chrome tanning
- vegetable (polyphenol) tanning
For the chrome tanning method much of the chromium is recycled within the tannery. Even with chrome recovery some fellmonger sludges may contain levels of chromium and salt. The chemical and other treatments given to hides in tanneries often disinfect the waste. Tanneries are unlikely to produce waste that contains chromium VI because currently no tanneries are known to use it for their tanning process.
You must only landspread waste that is free of chromium.
Benefits and risks
The nutrients from the animal products and the associated dirt remain in the effluent and can give benefit. However, the nutrient content can be highly variable. Use your waste analysis to justify the benefit.
You must consider potential contaminants. This will depend on the processes used to produce the waste. You need to be aware of the:
- presence of all forms of chromium
- presence of organophosphorus pesticide residues
- use of dyes
- high levels of sulphide
You must provide:
- detailed information in your benefit statement to show that there is no risk from this waste
- evidence in your waste analysis that it is free of all forms of chromium, pesticides and other contaminants
04 02 wastes are from the textile industry.
04 02 10 Organic matter from natural products only
Wastes from the textile industry can come from:
- animals such as wool
- plants such as cotton or hemp
You can use this waste if you hold SR2010 No 4 – see table 2.2A.
04 02 10 code includes wool carpet wastes.
In your deployment application use the waste code 04 02 10 Organic matter from natural products only. State if it is wool carpet waste.
You must follow the guidance in Landspreading: how to manage soil health for how to manage:
- pests and diseases
- organic manures
Wool carpet waste
Wool carpet waste (known as shoddy) has traditionally been applied to agricultural land as a slow release fertiliser. Wastes also include cropper dust (a type of floc) which results from carpet finishing.
Changes in production processes have largely replaced wool carpets with wool rich or totally synthetic carpets. Both contain plastic which prevents their direct use in landspreading operations.
Carpet backing materials can be a mixture of materials. They can also contain plastic or a biodegradable material such as hessian. You must get them assessed before you consider landspreading them as you must not deliberately spread any plastic waste.
Benefits and risks of wool carpet waste
Consider these benefits. It:
- adds organic matter to the soil
- improves moisture retention
- provides plant nutrient inputs, typically nitrogen (2 to 15kg/ha), phosphate (0 to 15kg/ha), potash (0 to 7kg/ha) and sulphur (greater than 50kg/ha)
- adds natural fibre to the soil that may reduce the effects of soil erosion and increase resistance to compaction
- has a low neutralising value
Consider these risks. It:
- may add non-degradable material such as plastic, polypropylene backing and synthetic fibres to the receiving soil
- potentially increases keratinophilic fungi in the receiving soil
- may include potentially toxic elements such as zinc and chromium
Potentially toxic elements and the limits that must be met are given in the Sewage sludge in agriculture: code of practice. These limits apply to this waste not just sewage sludge.
Keratin is a major component of wool fibre and a source of slow release nitrogen. If composted first, the composting process may result in keratinophilic fungi growth. Keratinophilic fungi may be pathogenic to humans and animals by:
- direct contact with the compost or receiving soil
- eating raw salad crops contaminated with soil
The waste may also contain chemicals from carpet production, for example:
- pyrethroid insect-resist agents such as moth proofers
- bleaches used to clean fibres
- treatments to increase stain resistance
- vulcanization agents such as styrene on carpet backing
04 02 15 Biodegradable wastes from finishing other than those containing organic solvents only
You can use this waste if you hold SR2010 No 4 – see table 2.2B.
04 02 15 includes waste from textile finishing processes.
In your deployment application use the waste code 04 02 15 Biodegradable wastes from finishing other than those containing organic solvents only. State if it is waste from textile finishing processes.
Waste from textile finishing processes
The textile industry uses finishing processes to dye textiles. These processes produce large quantities of sludges and other process effluents. These are often mixed with bleaching agents such as ammonia.
This properties of this waste or the threshold concentrations of certain compounds and elements will determine if its hazardous.
Benefits and risks
Consider these benefits:
- nitrogen content is usually very high (around 5kg/m3) due to the ammonia content, but nutrient content is highly variable and depends on the constituents of the dyeing process
- often contains 1 to 2kg/m3 of phosphate and potash
Consider these risks:
- dyes used in the textile industry may contain various metals or organic compounds to create the colour
- the washing process takes dye residues into effluent treatment plants and they become concentrated into the sludge for disposal
- the concentrated sludge can have metal levels up to several 100mg/kg
- textiles may be treated with different substances such as stain resistance chemicals, moth proofing (for example, pyrethrins), water proofers and antimicrobial treatments
The pH of these types of waste from textile finishing processes are often in excess of 7.0. This is due to the presence of ammonia. However, this waste does not have a significant liming effect.
04 02 20 Sludges from on-site effluent treatment other than those mentioned in 04 02 19*
You can use this waste if you hold SR2010 No 4 – see table 2.2B.
04 02 20 includes wool scouring sludge.
You must not use 04 02 19* Sludges from on-site effluent treatment containing hazardous substances.
In your deployment application use the waste code: 04 02 20 Sludges from on-site effluent treatment other than those mentioned in 04 02 19*. State if it is wool scouring sludge.
Wool scouring sludge
Textile industries generate a lot of waste from washing. The wash water often contains large amounts of:
- waste wool
- dags that contain animal excrement
- suint which is a potash-rich animal residue
- organic matter from natural products such as greases and waxes
Benefits and risks
Consider these benefits. It:
- can add organic matter to the soil, but the nutrient content varies a lot and depends on the amount of fibres and animal excreta in the sludge
- nitrogen content is usually high to very high at 2 to 5kg/m3
- may contain moderate amounts of phosphate and potash (approximately 1kg/m3)
- improves moisture retention
Consider these risks:
- the washing processes carried out on fleeces create waste that contains pesticide residues and grease
- organophosphorus, organochlorine compounds and synthetic pyrethroid pesticides can be found in the grease fraction of the sludge
- imported wool can contain prohibited substances such as gamma-HCH (lindane) and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane also known as DDT.
You can find advice on prohibited and non-approved active substances on the Health and Safety Executive website.
You must take caution where grease and wax content exceeds 4%. You will need to justify the benefit and environmental mitigation that may be required.
You must follow the guidance on how to manage oil and fat trap wastes in Landspreading: how to manage soil health
Waste producers must test for pesticides. Analysis can detect very low levels of pesticide compounds in scouring sludge. Provide this information in your waste analysis.
04 02 21 Wastes from unprocessed biodegradable textile fibres only
You can use this waste if you hold SR2010 No 4 – see table 2.2B.
Examples of this waste include hemp and cotton.
In your deployment application use the waste code 04 02 21 Wastes from unprocessed biodegradable textile fibres only. State if it is hemp or cotton.
For this waste you must follow the information for 04 02 10 Organic matter from natural products only.
04 02 22 Wastes from processed biodegradable textile fibres only
You can use this waste if you hold SR2010 No 4 – see table 2.2B.
Examples of this waste include hemp and cotton.
In your deployment application use the waste code 04 02 22 Wastes from processed biodegradable textile fibres only. State if it is hemp or cotton.
For this waste you must follow the information for 04 02 10 Organic matter from natural products only.