Guidance

Secure waste disposal facility

Dstl’s incinerator facility near Salisbury provides a specialist disposal solution for hazardous or high security waste materials.

About the facility

The incinerator facility provides waste disposal services to the Defence Science and Technology (Dstl) and is also available for use by other government departments and non-government organisations. It contains 2 incinerators: the rotary kiln and the fixed hearth Hoval.

The rotary kiln can dispose of up to 150kg of solid waste or 30 litres of liquid per hour. The Hoval is primarily used for large items (up to 500kg) but can also be used to safely dispose of munitions and liquids unsuitable for the kiln. Waste is stored in accordance with the Environment Agency’s best practice and current regulations.

The incinerator facility holds national asset status and is authorised by the Environment Agency to operate under an environmental permit. It is also approved by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for specific risk materials.

Our highly trained team is made up of vetted staff for whom health, safety, security and the environment are the absolute priorities.

The incinerator facility in action

What can be incinerated

We can safely and securely dispose of a variety of wastes including:

  • laboratory chemicals
  • digital storage media
  • clinical waste
  • security wastes requiring witnessed burns
  • chemically or biologically contaminated waste

There is no minimum quantity. Maximum quantities vary depending on the type of waste; please contact us for more information.

The incinerator facility in action

Transporting waste to the site

We can arrange collection of your waste, either by us or by defence courier. All deliveries of waste must be made by a licensed waste carrier and by prior arrangement.

Timescales

We will respond to quote requests within 14 days. Once a quote has been accepted, we aim to have the facility ready to receive waste within 7 days. The facility can be operational 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

How to use the incinerator facility

If you would like to use the facility please contact us, giving details of the type and quantity of waste you would like to dispose of. We will be in touch as soon as possible, and may need further information. If you are unsure of any technical aspects of your waste, Dstl has experts who can advise on multiple subjects including chemical or biological issues arising from waste.

We will provide a quote (for destruction or advice) and send a quote form for you to complete. The quote form includes our terms and conditions. Upon receipt of a completed, signed quote, we will make arrangements to carry out the work.

If you would like to visit the facility before going ahead, we can arrange a tour. We can also arrange for customers to witness the destruction of their waste, and provide evidence of incineration.

Contact us for more information

Incinerator Facility

Building 411R
Defence Science and Technology Laboratory
Porton Down
Wiltshire
SP4 0JQ

The incinerator facility in action

Updates to this page

Published 15 April 2016
Last updated 17 October 2022 + show all updates
  1. Updated details of the services offered.

  2. First published.

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