Agricultural waste management

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What is an exemption? Usually any waste treatment, recovery or disposal activity needs to have an environmental permit. In some cases, lower risk, small scale and less polluting activities may be exempt from licensing. These activities are known as exemptions.

The lowest risk activities are known as simple exemptions. Higher risk activities, such as landspreading of waste, land reclamation and use of construction wastes, are known as complex exemptions. These are waste activities that are exempt from licensing but which the Environment Agency will need check to ensure that they will not harm the environment.

To qualify for an exemption, you must meet the relevant objectives, which means you must not use processes that could endanger human health or harm the environment. In particular, you must not pose a risk to water, air, soil, plants or animals, cause nuisance through noise, smoke or odours, adversely affect the countryside or places of special interest.

If you want to carry out an exempt activity you must also be able to meet the rules and limitations of the specific exemption. For most exemptions you must register with the Environment Agency. Registration is free of charge.