Waste exemptions in the UK: when you need one and how to register

What a waste exemption is

The Environment Agency puts it simply: "A waste exemption is a waste management activity that is exempt from needing an environmental permit." Each one covers a set activity, such as using waste in construction or baling cardboard, with a list of the wastes it allows and limits on how much. It comes with conditions you must comply with, even for the few exemptions you don't need to register.

In England and Wales the exemptions sit in the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016. A waste operation is only exempt if it fits the description and conditions of an exemption, it is registered (unless the person doing it isn't a business), and the type and amount of waste are consistent with protecting people and the environment.

An exempt site that takes in waste is an authorised person for the duty of care, just like a permitted site, but only for the wastes and quantities its exemptions allow.

Exemption or permit?

An exemption is for small, lower-risk activities. You need an environmental permit or a different exemption if you want to manage waste that isn't listed in the exemption, or more waste than it allows. In England and Wales:

• Some activities need no registration. You can store any type of your own waste, securely, where you produced it, for up to 12 months before it is collected, without registering or paying. This is the NWFD 2 exemption. NRW says the same temporary storage exemptions need no registration in Wales.
• Installations can't use them. If your waste activities are part of an installation, such as a landfill site or power station, they must be in your installation permit.
• One of each per site. You can't have more than one of the same exemption at a site at the same time, or register one that another business already has registered there.
• No stacking storage. You can't register a storage exemption to increase the storage limit in a different exemption, or store waste your exemption doesn't include.
• Other rules still apply. You may also need planning permission or a flood risk activity permit.

Every exemption shares the same basic conditions. You must not cause risk to water, air, soil, plants or animals, cause a nuisance through noise and odours, or disturb the countryside or places of special interest.

Common exemptions in England and Wales

There are about 60 exemptions, grouped as U (using waste), T (treating), D (disposing) and S (storing). The Environment Agency's list has a guide for each, and NRW says that although those guides say England, the exemptions are exactly the same in Wales. Here are ones waste businesses meet often. Each guide lists the exact waste codes allowed.

U1: using waste in construction

U1 lets you use suitable waste in building, engineering, drainage and landscaping work: a noise bund of crushed brick and concrete, a track built from road planings, or imported soil for landscaping as part of a construction project. Over its 3 years you can use up to 5,000 tonnes of wastes such as concrete, bricks and aggregates, up to 1,000 tonnes of soil and stones, or up to 50,000 tonnes for a road built to an engineering standard with a sealed surface. Waste can be stored for up to 12 months before use. It must be suitable for the job and not contaminated with things like plastic, asbestos fragments or oil. U1 doesn't cover standalone landscaping, land levelling or land reclamation, or treating waste to make it suitable. The business using the waste registers it.

T4: preparing waste for recycling

T4 covers treatment that reduces volume before waste goes elsewhere for reuse or recycling: baling paper and cardboard, baling and shredding cans, sorting plastic bottles. Limits depend on the waste. For paper and cardboard, you can treat up to 500 tonnes outside or 3,000 tonnes indoors in any 7 days, and store up to 15,000 tonnes, for up to 12 months. Each waste type must arrive separately and be kept apart. You can't treat hazardous waste or bale waste going to landfill or incineration. If you only bale waste where it is produced, you don't need to register.

T6: chipping waste wood and plant matter

T6 covers chipping, shredding, cutting or pulverising waste wood and plant matter to make it suitable for a use such as mulch, panel board, fuel or path surfacing. You can treat or store up to 500 tonnes over any 7 days, and store the treated material for up to 3 months. It doesn't cover hazardous treated wood, sorting wood out of mixed waste, or wood sorted from mixed sources at a waste treatment facility.

T9: recovering scrap metal

T9 covers sorting, grading, baling, crushing, shearing by manual feed or cutting scrap metal with hand-held tools. You can store or treat up to 1,000 tonnes at any one time (50 tonnes of cable), for up to 24 months, on sealed drainage. You must keep records of each load's quantity, nature and origin for 2 years. T9 doesn't allow end-of-life vehicles or their parts, hazardous waste, or burning.

S2: storing waste at a secure place

S2 lets you store certain wastes at a secure site away from where they were produced, until they move on for recovery elsewhere. Each waste has its own limit, for example 15,000 tonnes of paper and cardboard for 12 months, 15,000 tonnes of scrap metal for 6 months, 100 tonnes of non-hazardous construction and demolition waste that can be reused as it is, or 40 tonnes of tyres for 3 months. You can't treat waste under S2, store waste going for disposal, store mixed waste, or mix hazardous with non-hazardous waste.

D7: burning plant and untreated wood waste

D7 lets a business such as a gardener, joiner or farmer burn its own untreated wood and plant waste in the open, where it was produced. You can burn up to 10 tonnes in any 24 hours and store up to 20 tonnes for up to 6 months to dry it. You can't bring waste in from elsewhere to burn. Householders burning their own garden waste don't need to register.

U16: parts from depolluted vehicles

U16 lets a business such as a repairer or classic car restorer reuse parts from end-of-life vehicles in other vehicles. You can hold up to 2 depolluted vehicles and 5 cubic metres of their non-hazardous parts at a time. The vehicles must have been depolluted at an authorised treatment facility, and kept somewhere secure on an impermeable surface. You can't remove parts to sell to other people.

Registering and renewing in England

You register through the Environment Agency's online waste exemption service. Charities register free, by phone instead. You need:

• the exemptions you want
• the name, address and contact details of the person or business carrying out the activity
• the site address and postcode, or a grid reference
• for a limited company or LLP, its company number and registered address
• payment details (card or bank transfer)

Your registration gets a WEX number and goes on the public register of exempt waste sites. The same exemptions at 30 or more sites can go in one multiple site registration. Along a road, river, canal or railway, only four exemptions can be registered (U1, U12, D1 and D2), using a separate form.

Renewing every 3 years

Exemptions are valid for 3 years from the date you register. To keep one, you register it again for another 3 years. The Environment Agency will contact you a month before it expires, and you can't register again until it does. If you miss the expiry date, your exemptions are removed from the public register.

Changes and deregistering

You must tell the Environment Agency about changes to your registered details without delay. Use the online service to update contact details or deregister exemptions you no longer need, with your WEX number and the email address you registered with.

What an exemption costs in England

The Environment Agency has charged for most exemptions since July 2025, to fund compliance checks and catch illegal activity posing as legitimate exemptions. You pay a £58.13 registration charge each time you register one or more exemptions on a site, plus a compliance charge for each exemption, set by its band:

These are the charges from 1 April 2026. Other points:

• More than one on a site: you pay in full for the most expensive, then £235.63 for each extra upper band exemption and £78.89 for each extra band 1 or band 2 one. Band 3 has no discount. So T4 and S2 on one site cost £58.13 + £435.96 + £78.89 = £572.98.
• Farmers: farming exemptions are capped at £91.34 in total, plus the registration charge.
• T11 (repairing waste electrical equipment) has its own charge of £1,267.40 for 3 years.
• Free: charities, and T28.
• No VAT on any waste exemption, and no further payment until you register again after 3 years.
• Refunds: in full within 21 days if you made a mistake or changed your mind, and pro rata if a permit replaces the exemption or the business closes.

Wales

If your business is based in Wales, you register with Natural Resources Wales. The exemptions are the same as England's, but registering and renewing is free for all of them except T11. Registrations last three years, and you can renew in the month before expiry. Miss it and you must start a new application. To change contact details or add exemptions, call NRW on 0300 065 3000. You can search NRW's public register for existing exemptions.

Scotland: exemptions are ending

Scotland's exemptions worked differently. They were numbered paragraphs (such as "paragraph 11") in the Waste Management Licensing (Scotland) Regulations 2011, split into simple and complex exemptions. That is changing:

• Since 1 November 2025, waste activities have been regulated under the Environmental Authorisations (Scotland) Regulations 2018 (EASR), and you can no longer apply for an exemption.
• Existing exemptions registered before then carry on until the "waste exemptions sunset date", which the law sets as 1 November 2026. A complex exemption ends sooner if its registration ends first. A few, such as paragraph 8(1)(a), have their own dates.
• From 1 November 2026, the activity must be authorised under EASR. SEPA says that if you need a registration or permit, you need to apply by 1 November 2026 (for a complex exemption, by its expiry date if that is sooner).

EASR has four levels of authorisation. A General Binding Rule covers the lowest-risk activities: if you follow its rules in full, you are authorised and don't need to tell SEPA. A notification means telling SEPA: the activity is authorised once you have. A registration or permit means applying. None of them expire unless stated.

Northern Ireland

Exempt activities are listed in Schedule 2, Part I of the Waste Management Licensing Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003, again by paragraph number, and you register with the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA). Applications are made online through DAERA's system, with a Government Gateway account. Paper applications are only accepted in exceptional circumstances.

• Simple waste exemption: one application covers paragraphs 1 to 7, 12, 16, 20 to 26, 29 to 31, 34, 36, 40, 44, 46 and 47. It costs £1,163 (£843 for paragraphs 46 and 47). You need proof of occupancy, a site plan and a landowner consent form.
• Other paragraphs have their own forms. Most cost £843, and paragraphs 14 and 15 cost £1,163. Paragraphs 11, 12, 15, 19 and 45 need proof that the site has planning permission, or the council's written confirmation that it doesn't need it.
• No registration needed for paragraphs 27, 32, 33, 35, 37 to 39 and 41 to 43.

A registration lasts 3 years, or 1 year for paragraphs 9, 10, 11, 13, 19, 45, 46, 47 and 49 to 52. You can renew within two months of expiry, for £843 or £1,163 depending on the type. Submit it 28 days or more before the expiry date, or you will need a new application.

Staying within your exemption

An exemption only protects you while you meet it. If you take in a waste it doesn't list, or more than its limit, you need a permit or a different exemption. Operating a regulated facility without a permit is an offence in England and Wales.

Regulators check. NRW says it may inspect exempt activities against their limits and criteria, and anyone operating outside them could face enforcement action. A registration must be removed if the activity stops or no longer counts as exempt.

Some exemptions set their own records duty, like T9's 2 years. If you receive hazardous waste at an exempt site in England, GOV.UK says keep all records for 3 years, and, as a registered exempt facility accepting hazardous waste from others, you send consignee returns.

Exempt sites and digital waste tracking

Exempt sites don't report to digital waste tracking yet. Defra says "Waste exemptions are not included as the first phase, as it only applies to permitted sites that receive waste", and that they will be included in a later phase. It gives no date.

• England: from 1 October 2026 the duty falls on the operator of a permitted facility, meaning someone authorised under an environmental permit. An exempt facility is not a regulated facility, so it isn't covered.
• Wales: from 1 October 2026, operators of permitted waste receiving sites must report.
• Scotland: from 1 January 2027, phase 1 covers permit-level sites. SEPA says former exempt sites, simple or complex, and new registration-level authorisations are not included.
• Northern Ireland: phase 1 is for waste receivers, mandatory from January 2027. DAERA's page doesn't mention exempt sites, so ask NIEA if you're unsure.

If you hold an environmental permit as well as exemptions, check Defra's guidance on who must report or ask your regulator. Being exempt from tracking doesn't remove any other duty: transfer notes and consignment notes still go with every load.

Sending waste to an exempt site

The duty of care treats a registered exemption like a permit. In England and Wales, an authorised person includes a waste operator with "an environmental permit or registered exemption to accept such waste". The code of practice says you must not transfer waste:

• to anyone you suspect doesn't have an appropriate permit or registered exemption
• to a facility whose permit or exemption doesn't cover that type of waste
• in a quantity that takes a facility over the limits of its permit or exemption

So before sending waste to an exempt site, ask which exemption it will come under and check it allows that waste. You can ask for proof of their exemption registration, or look the site up on the public register: the Environment Agency's, NRW's, SEPA's or DAERA's.

If you run the exempt site, the duty works the other way: by accepting any waste you must not contravene the exemption criteria, such as waste limits. Turn away loads your exemption doesn't cover.

The transfer note

Waste going to or from an exempt site needs a waste transfer note like any other transfer, or a consignment note for hazardous waste. The law lists someone carrying on an exempt waste operation as one of the capacities a party can act in. NRW says the note includes the permit or exemption details of both the business handing the waste over and the one collecting it, and the Environment Agency's transfer note form has a box for each party's registered waste exemption. Put the WEX number there.

Carriers in England: exemptions are coming

England is replacing waste carrier, broker and dealer registration with permits and exemptions. Lower tier registrants must register an exemption or obtain a permit within 12 months of the new system going live, depending on their activity. Our guide to waste carrier registration costs covers the dates.

Checklist

Running an exempt site

• Check each activity fits an exemption's wastes, limits and conditions before you start.
• Register it with the right regulator, and keep your WEX or registration number to hand.
• Track how much waste is on site and for how long, against each exemption's limits.
• Refuse loads your exemption doesn't cover.
• Renew on time: in England and Wales, in the month before the 3 years end.
• In Scotland, make sure your activity is authorised under EASR by 1 November 2026.

Sending waste to an exempt site

• Ask which exemption the waste will come under, and check it on the public register.
• Make sure the exemption covers that waste and the quantity you're sending.
• Record the exemption details on the transfer note.

Common questions

Do I need a waste exemption?

You need one if you store, treat, use or dispose of waste in a way that would otherwise need an environmental permit, and your activity fits an exemption's waste types and limits. If it doesn't fit, you need a permit or a different exemption. Some low-risk activities need no registration at all: in England and Wales, for example, you can store your own waste where you produced it for up to 12 months before it is collected, as long as it is kept secure.

How do I register a U1 exemption?

In England, the business using the waste registers the U1 in its own name through the Environment Agency's online waste exemption service and pays the charge. You need the business's name, address and contact details, its company number if it is a limited company, and the site address or a grid reference. U1 is a band 1 exemption: £435.96, plus a £58.13 registration charge, for 3 years. In Wales you register with Natural Resources Wales, free.

How much does a waste exemption cost?

In England most exemptions have been charged for since July 2025: a £58.13 registration charge per site, plus a compliance charge for each exemption of £1,282.97 (upper band: T8, T9 and U16), £435.96 (band 1), £220.06 (band 2) or £31.14 (band 3). Extra exemptions on the same site are discounted. Charities and T28 are free. In Wales, registering is free except for T11. In Northern Ireland, a simple waste exemption costs £1,163.

How long does a waste exemption last?

In England and Wales, 3 years from when you register. You renew in the month before it expires; in England the Environment Agency contacts you a month before. If you miss the expiry date, the exemption is removed from the public register. In Northern Ireland most last 3 years, but some, such as paragraphs 9, 11, 45 and 50, last 1 year.

Does an exempt site need to use digital waste tracking?

Not yet. The first phase of digital waste tracking only applies to permitted sites that receive waste. In England the duty falls on the operator of a permitted facility, and a registered exempt facility is not one. Defra says waste exemptions will be included in a later phase, but has not given a date. In Scotland, SEPA says former exempt sites are not included in phase 1.

Can I send waste to a site with a waste exemption?

Yes, if its registered exemption covers that waste. Under the duty of care, a waste operator with a registered exemption to accept the waste is an authorised person. You must not send waste to a site whose exemption doesn't cover it, or in a quantity that would take it over its limits. You can ask for proof of its exemption registration or check the public register. A transfer note still goes with the waste.

Can I still register a paragraph exemption in Scotland?

No. Since 1 November 2025 you cannot apply for the exemptions under the old waste management licensing rules. Existing exemptions continue only until 1 November 2026. After that the activity must be authorised under the Environmental Authorisations (Scotland) Regulations: by a General Binding Rule if one covers it, or by a registration or permit from SEPA.

Check the official guidance

This guide is based on these pages. Rules change, so check them for the latest position.

• Waste exemptions: how to choose, register and pay (GOV.UK, Environment Agency), with its parts Choosing the right waste exemptions for your activity, Registration rules and guidance and Waste exemption charges
• Register your waste exemptions (GOV.UK, Environment Agency)
• Waste exemption guides (GOV.UK, Environment Agency), including U1, T4, T6, T9, S2, D7, U16 and NWFD 2
• Waste exemptions: overview of feedback and our response (GOV.UK, Environment Agency)
• Waste exemptions public register (Environment Agency)
• Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016, Schedule 2, regulation 8 and regulation 38 (legislation.gov.uk)
• Waste duty of care: code of practice (accessible version) (GOV.UK, Defra and Environment Agency)
• The Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2011, regulation 35 (legislation.gov.uk)
• Duty of care waste transfer note form (GOV.UK, Environment Agency)
• Hazardous waste: Consignees (GOV.UK)
• Hazardous waste returns: supplementary guidance (GOV.UK, Environment Agency)
• Digital waste tracking service (GOV.UK, Defra)
• Digital waste tracking: check if you need to report the waste you receive (GOV.UK, Defra and Welsh Government)
• The Digital Waste Tracking (England) Regulations 2026 (legislation.gov.uk)
• Mandatory digital waste tracking system (Welsh Government)
• Reforming the waste carrier broker and dealer system (GOV.UK, Defra)
• Register or renew your waste exemptions (Natural Resources Wales)
• Check for a permit, licence or exemption (Public Register) (Natural Resources Wales)
• Completing waste transfer notes (Natural Resources Wales)
• Activities exempt from waste management licensing (SEPA)
• Moving to the new Regulations (SEPA)
• Types of authorisation (SEPA)
• Digital waste tracking (SEPA)
• Public register search (SEPA)
• The Environmental Authorisations (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2025, schedule 23 (legislation.gov.uk)
• Waste management licensing exemptions (DAERA)
• Waste exemption guidance (DAERA)
• Simple waste exemption and Waste exemption renewals (DAERA)
• Exemptions from waste management licensing public register (DAERA)
• The Waste Management Licensing Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003, regulation 18 (legislation.gov.uk)
• Digital waste tracking (DAERA)