Guidance

Register your waste exemptions

Register and pay for exemptions to store, treat, use or dispose of waste. Deregister exemptions you no longer need and update details that have changed.

Applies to England

There’s a charge for most waste exemptions 

Read waste exemption charges to find out what the charges and charging bands are. 

Read the waste exemptions guidance to check:

  • if you need to register an exemption 

  • that you can comply with the exemption conditions 

  • how much you’ll pay for your waste exemptions 

You can pay for your exemptions online with a debit or credit card. The service will calculate what you owe before you pay anything.  

You can also pay by bank transfer. 

You pay once when you register and the exemptions last for 3 years. 

Charities and T28 exemptions  

You do not have to pay for waste exemptions if: 

Call the Environment Agency to register by phone.

Before you start – what you need

To register waste exemptions you need to know:  

  • which exemptions you need – see the list of waste exemptions 

  • name, address and contact details of the person or business carrying out the waste activity  

  • company registration number and registered address if you’re a limited company or limited liability partnership

  • address and postcode or grid reference where the waste activity will take place (this may be different to the business address)  
  • your payment details – you can pay by credit or debit card, or bank transfer

Waste exemptions last for 3 years. You’ll get an email when it’s time to renew.

Deregistering or updating

To deregister an exemption or update your contact details you need: 

  • your waste exemption (WEX) registration number  

  • the email address you used to register the exemption

Register, deregister or update your details

Start

 

Linear networks and multiple site registrations  

Use this registration form instead of the digital service if:

  • your waste activity is along a road, canal, track or other type of linear network
  • you want to register the same exemption at 30 or more sites (known as multiple site registration)

Contact

General enquiries

National Customer Contact Centre
PO Box 544
Rotherham
S60 1BY

Email enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk

Telephone 03708 506 506

Telephone from outside the UK (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm GMT) +44 (0) 114 282 5312

Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.

Updates to this page

Published 12 December 2024
Last updated 1 July 2025 show all updates
  1. Updated with information about waste exemption charges, and organisations that do not have to pay.

  2. Updated to remove the invite and link to a closed consultation. 'Bulk registrations' are now known as 'multiple site registrations' - the page has been amended to reflect this.

  3. First published.

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