Collection

Storing waste: waste exemptions

List of exemptions for temporarily storing waste at the place where it was produced or elsewhere.

A waste exemption is a waste operation that is exempt from needing an environmental permit. Each exemption has specific limits and conditions you need to comply with.

It’s free to register waste exemptions with the Environment Agency and registration lasts for 3 years. You can renew after that time if you still need the exemption.

You may need to hold other permits or permissions in addition to your exemption. For example, you may need planning permission for your waste operation, or a water discharge permit. Check if you need an environmental permit.

Waste exemptions are changing and this will affect anyone who carries out a waste exemption activity. Defra has published its consultation supplementary response document and associated annexes explaining these changes. It sets out which exemptions will be withdrawn or restricted. We expect changes to the exemptions will start to roll out during 2024 and continue into 2025 but timescales have not been finalised yet..

Exemptions you do not need to register

These are known as non-waste framework directive exemptions.

If you store your own waste temporarily, or operate a waste collection point, you may not need to register an exemption. However, you must still comply with certain limits and conditions.

Storing waste exemptions S1, S2, S3

You need to register these storage exemptions with the Environment Agency.

You should not register S1 or S2 exemptions for activities which are covered by the non-waste framework directive exemptions. For example, like storing your own waste at the place where it was produced.

The exemptions for using, treating and disposing of waste all include the storage capacity for that waste. You cannot increase the storage capacity by registering an additional storage exemption at the same place. If you do, the storage exemption will be invalid.

Published 28 April 2014
Last updated 15 November 2019 + show all updates
  1. Provided clarity on the storing waste exemptions that do not need registering.

  2. Minor changes to the page title and description to improve search results. This will help customers find relevant exemption guidance.

  3. First published.