U14 waste exemption: incorporating ash into soil
The U14 exemption allows you to mix ash back into the soil to return some of the nutrients from the burnt crops and vegetation.
Applies to England
Types of activity you can carry out
Ploughing or mixing into the soil ash produced from burning:
- cereal straw and cereal stubble
- waste such as untreated wood and vegetation under exemption D7: burning waste in the open
Types of activity you cannot carry out
You cannot:
- bring ash onto your farm from other places and plough it into the soil
- plough or mix ash from burning other types of waste into the soil
Type of waste you can use
The waste codes are listed in the List of Wastes (LoW) Regulations. You need to make sure your waste fits within the waste code and the description.
| Waste code | Type of waste |
|---|---|
| 020103, 020107, 200201 | Ash from burning plant tissue only |
Amount of waste you can use
You can spread up to 10 tonnes of ash per hectare.
You should only spread the minimum amount of ash needed to benefit the soil. If you apply more ash than appears reasonable, the Environment Agency may consider this as disposal of waste.
Key conditions
You must plough ash from burning cereal straw or stubble into the soil within 24 hours of it being burnt, unless the wind would cause excessive dust. If it is too windy, you must incorporate the ash as soon as conditions allow.
Other things you need to know
The types of wood you can burn under D7: burning waste in the open are:
- waste bark and wood
- plant tissue
- sawdust or shavings from untreated wood
Under U14 you can only incorporate ash from burning plant tissue, not wood from joinery.
If you are burning crop residues, you also need to comply with the Crop Residue (Burning) Regulations 1993.
Related exemptions
Register a U14 exemption
You need to register this exemption with the Environment Agency if you meet the requirements.