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Technical guidance for regulated industry sectors: environmental permitting

Environmental permitting technical guidance for your activity.

From:
Environment Agency
Published
7 April 2014
Last updated
21 May 2026 — See all updates

Some of the generic guidance documents referred to in these technical guides have been withdrawn and replaced with new versions.

The sector technical guides are still current and how the Environment Agency regulates you and your legal requirements has not changed.

Changes to generic guidance documents are:

You need to read these generic guides in addition to your sector technical guidance.

Combustion activities

See the BREF technical guidance for large combustion plants.

Food and drink

See the BREF technical guidance for the food, drink and milk industries.

Paper, pulp and cardboard manufacturing

See the BREF technical guidance for paper, pulp and cardboard manufacturing.

Biological waste treatment and transfer

This appropriate measures guidance is relevant to permitted waste management facilities that handle organic waste, also known as biowaste. Facilities that operate under a relevant waste exemption, and crop fed anaerobic digestion sites, can also use this guidance.

Chemicals

Chemical waste treatment and transfer

This appropriate measures guidance applies to:

  • new chemical waste facilities applying for permits from 18 November 2020
  • existing facilities once their permits have been varied

Chemical waste includes:

  • hazardous chemical wastes (for example sulphuric acid or engine oil)
  • wastes that contain, or are contaminated with, hazardous chemicals (for example contaminated soils)
  • non-hazardous chemical wastes (for example non-hazardous sludges from physico-chemical treatment) that are treated chemically

Chemical waste sites that were permitted before 18 November 2020 need to continue to use the ‘Sector Guidance Note S5.06: recovery and disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous waste’ until their permits are varied.

Emerging techniques for energy and net zero

Gasification, liquefaction and refining industry

Healthcare waste treatment and transfer

The appropriate measures guidance applies to:

  • new healthcare waste facilities applying for permits from 13 July 2020
  • existing facilities once their permits have been varied

Healthcare waste facilities that were permitted before 13 July 2020 should continue to use the ‘Clinical waste: additional guidance (How to comply with your permit EPR 5.07)’ until their permits are varied.

Intensive farming

Landfill

Landspreading permits

Metals production and processing

Mining

Non-hazardous and inert waste treatment and transfer

The appropriate measures guidance applies to new and existing non-hazardous and inert waste facilities applying for permits from 12 July 2021.

Best available technique associated emissions levels (BAT AELs) are not included in our appropriate measures guidance. Installation operators in particular should refer to the relevant BAT AELs in the BAT conclusions document.

Printing and textiles – coating activities

Slaughterhouses – poultry and red meat abattoirs

Treating metal waste in shredders

The appropriate measures guidance applies to:

  • new facilities treating metal waste in shredders applying for permits from 20 October 2021
  • existing facilities once their permits have been varied

Waste batteries treatment and transfer

This guidance explains the appropriate measures that apply to regulated facilities permitted to treat or transfer waste batteries.

Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) treatment and transfer

This appropriate measures guidance applies to:

  • new WEEE facilities applying for permits from 13 July 2022
  • existing facilities once their permits have been varied

The guidance also applies to sites that treat or transfer materials derived from the processing of WEEE that require further treatment to comply with the WEEE Directive. For example, the sorting and segregation of WEEE plastic containing brominated flame retardants.

There’s additional guidance on the appropriate measures for facilities that treat or transfer waste temperature exchange equipment (WTEE). If your facility is permitted to treat or transfer WTEE then you must comply with both the WEEE guidance and the WTEE guidance.

Waste incineration

Updates to this page

Published 7 April 2014
Last updated 21 May 2026 show all updates

  1. Added a link to new guidance 'Waste batteries: appropriate measures for permitted facilities'.

  2. Added a link to 'Hydrogen combustion: comply with emission limit values' in the 'Emerging techniques for energy and net zero' section.

  3. Added a link to new guidance 'Hydrogen production by electrolysis of water: emerging techniques'.

  4. Added technical guidance for Landspreading waste permits.

  5. Added new guidance 'Emerging techniques for hydrogen production with carbon capture'.

  6. Added the guidance Biological waste treatment: appropriate measures for permitted facilities.

  7. Clarified that the WEEE and WTEE appropriate measures guides apply to: new WEEE facilities applying for permits from 13 July 2022, existing facilities once their permits have been varied (changed).

  8. Added links to 'Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE): appropriate measures for permitted facilities' and 'Waste temperature exchange equipment: appropriate measures for permitted facilities'.

  9. Added the new guidance document 'Treating metal waste in shredders: appropriate measures for permitted facilities'.

  10. Added a link to the new guidance document 'Non-hazardous and inert waste: appropriate measures for permitted facilities'.

  11. Added a 'carbon capture' group and added a link to the new 'Post-combustion carbon dioxide capture: best available techniques (BAT)' guidance.

  12. We have updated the collection to include a link to the new guidance 'Chemical waste: appropriate measures for permitted facilities'.

  13. Updated to include the new guidance Healthcare waste: appropriate measures for permitted facilities.

  14. We have withdrawn the food and drink sector and dairy and milk processing sector technical guidance notes and linked to the replacement BREF technical guidance for the food, drink and milk industries.

  15. We have withdrawn the technical guidance note for combustion activities. We have added a link to the BREF technical guidance for large combustion plant.

  16. Paper, pulp and cardboard manufacturing: link provided to BREF and BAT conclusion documents.

  17. First published.

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