Waste acceptance procedures for waste recovery on land
What you must include in your waste acceptance procedures and when you must use waste that has been tested.
Waste producers must classify their waste as hazardous or non-hazardous and make sure it’s described (characterised) accurately. This helps waste producers work out where they’re allowed to send waste and helps you work out if you’re allowed to accept it.
If you have a permit to recover waste at your site, you must have waste acceptance procedures in place to make sure you only accept waste that:
- is suitable for your activity
- is allowed by your permit
- you have considered in your risk assessment for your permit
Your waste acceptance procedures will also help you:
- make sure the waste doesn’t cause pollution
- decide which wastes you will accept and from which sources
- prevent waste arriving at your site that isn’t covered by your permit
When you apply for a bespoke waste recovery permit you must provide a copy of your waste acceptance procedures with your permit application. These procedures will usually be part of your management system.
What your waste acceptance procedures must cover
Your waste acceptance procedures must set out the:
- evidence you need from producers to confirm the waste matches its description
- measures you’ll take to make sure the waste is free from contamination
- criteria you’ll use to decide whether or not to accept the waste, for example the results of waste testing
- other criteria you’ll use to make sure you only accept waste that is suitable
You can develop your own site-specific criteria or you may be able to use the Landfill Directive’s waste acceptance criteria. Your risk assessment will tell you what is appropriate.
Your procedures must also set out what information you’ll require producers to supply about the waste. This must include the:
- original source of the waste
- previous use of any site generating excavation or demolition waste
- details of any treatment used to remove unsuitable waste
- results of any waste tests carried out
Testing waste
The waste producer must test waste and give you the results of the analysis if the waste has come from:
- land that has or may have been contaminated by previous use
- a waste treatment or transfer facility
- any site where you have reason to suspect that the waste may have been contaminated
This rule also applies if you’re going to use the waste as a substitute for subsoil or topsoil.
Waste that may not need testing
Waste producers may not need to test certain types of waste apart from testing them for classification, if they:
- come from a single source
- are well characterised and described
- carry no risk of contamination, for example from a site that hasn’t previously been developed
- are a waste listed in this table
Types of waste a producer may not need to test
You may not need to test any waste described in this table apart from testing it for classification purposes:
| Waste code | Description |
|---|---|
| 01 | Waste from exploration, mining, quarrying, and physical and chemical treatment of minerals |
| 01 01 | Waste from mineral excavation |
| 01 01 02 | Waste from non metalliferous excavation |
| 01 04 | Waste from physical and chemical processing of non-metalliferous minerals |
| 01 04 08 | Waste gravel and crushed rocks other than those containing dangerous substances |
| 01 04 09 | Waste sand and clays |
| 10 12 | Waste from manufacture of ceramic goods, bricks, tiles and construction products |
| 10 12 08 | Waste ceramics, bricks, tiles and construction products (after thermal processing) |
| 17 | Construction and demolition waste (excluding excavated waste from contaminated sites) |
| 17 01 | Concrete, bricks, tiles and ceramics |
| 17 01 01 | Concrete |
| 17 01 02 | Bricks |
| 17 01 03 | Tiles and ceramics |
| 17 01 07 | Mixtures of concrete, bricks, tiles and ceramics |
| 17 05 | Soil (excluding excavated soil from contaminated sites), stones and dredging spoil |
| 17 05 04 | Soil and stones |
| 19 | Waste from waste management facilities, off-site waste water treatment plants and the preparation of water for human consumption and water for industrial use |
| 19 12 | Waste from mechanically treating waste (for example sorting, crushing, compacting, pelletising) not otherwise specified |
| 19 12 09 | Minerals (for example, sand, stones) |
| 20 | Municipal waste (household waste and similar commercial, industrial and institutional waste) including separately collected fractions |
| 20 02 | Garden and park waste (including cemetery waste) |
| 20 02 02 | Soil and stones |
You can use these untested wastes if:
- you’re allowed to accept this type of waste – your permit lists wastes you can accept
- your risk assessment shows that it’s acceptable to do so
Testing waste yourself
You must test the waste you’re using in your recovery activity to confirm it matches the description provided by the waste producer. This is particularly important if you’re using non-inert waste, or if you think the waste may be contaminated.
You should do this between 1 and 3 times a year for each waste stream, depending on your knowledge of the waste, its variability and your risk assessment.