Register or renew your waste exemptions

Before you register or renew

Choose the correct regulator

You must register with the regulator in the country where your business is based.

If your business is based in Wales, you must register with us and follow this guidance.

If your business is based in England, contact the Environment Agency. If you are in Scotland, contact SEPA.

Check the lists of waste exemptions

You must meet the conditions of each exemption. If you do not, your registration will be invalid and you will be operating illegally.

Find all waste exemptions (Gov.uk). Although the page states the exemptions apply to England only, they are exactly the same in Wales:

You must have the name and address of the individual, farm or organisation that will be carrying out the waste operations. A farm that forms one business location, where outlying land or discrete farmyards are managed as a single farm unit, should be registered as one premises or 'place'.

Yards or land parcels with different addresses and correspondence addresses should be registered as separate places.

If you have more than 30 sites carrying out the same exempt waste operations, call us on 0300 065 3000 to register in bulk.

If the activities are to take place at a location where they cannot be pinpointed to one place such as a road, river or canal, read about linear networks.

Check if you do not need to register

You do not need to register the following exemptions covering the temporary storage of waste. These are known as the Non-Waste Framework Directive Exemptions. You must follow the conditions and limits set out.

There are some low risk activities that do not need a permit and do not need to be registered as exemptions. Read more about Low Risk Waste Positions/Recovery Operations (Gov.uk). To find out which of these apply in Wales contact us at 0300 065 3000.

Apply to register or renew

Fees

It’s free to register or renew all waste exemptions except for a T11 Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment exemption.

Renewing

Waste exemption registrations last for three years. You can renew your registration within the month before it expires.

To renew you'll need to:

  • choose "Start application"

  • find your registration by selecting your business type (individual or organisation)

  • search using your name, partnership details, business or farm name. Use the public register to find your details.

If you miss your renewal date, you'll need to start a new application online.

Register or renew your waste exemption(s)


Once registered, your exemption details will appear on our waste exemption public register.

Change your registration

If you need to change your contact details or add exemptions to an existing registration, call 0300 065 3000.

To help us respond to your enquiry, please have your exemption registration number ready.

Comply with the exemption conditions

To make sure that you do not cause harm to people or the environment, you must comply with exemption conditions and operate without:

  • risk to water, air, soil, plants or animals

  • causing a nuisance through noise and odour

  • adversely affecting the countryside or places of special interest

Agricultural activities are often carried out in sensitive locations such as European Sites, Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), protected species sites and areas with sensitive ground and surface waters. You may need to have extra controls to make sure these areas are protected.

Your other obligations

Operating under an exemption, temporary storage exemption or Low Risk Waste Recovery Operation does not remove your obligation to comply with other legislation such as waste duty of care, waste carriers or the requirement for planning permission. You may, for example, need planning permission for your waste operation, or a water discharge permit.

Inspections and de-registration

We may carry out inspections of exempt waste activities to check they are meeting the limits and criteria.

If we become aware that your activity is not being used, is no longer in operation or the criteria are not being met, we will remove the registration from the public register (“de-registration”) and will notify you. You will no longer be able to benefit from the exemption and may need to apply for an environmental permit to continue your operations.

If you have operated illegally, for example outside the limits of the exemption, you could be liable to enforcement action.

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