Collection

Treating waste: waste exemptions

List of exemptions for treating waste, for example sorting or processing it in certain ways. You must comply with the specific rules of each exemption.

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 operate within.

If you want to operate under a waste exemption you must register that exemption with the Environment Agency. If you do not, you will not be exempt from needing a permit.

Each registration lasts 3 years. The registration will then expire unless you renew the exemptions you want to continue to use.

Registering an exemption does not remove the need to apply for other permits or permissions. For example, you may need planning permission for your waste operation, or a water discharge permit.

There are 2 waste treatment exemptions that you need to register with the local authority, not the Environment Agency. These are:

  • T3 – treatment of waste metals and metal alloys by heating for the purposes of removing grease
  • T7 – treatment of waste bricks, tiles and concrete by crushing, grinding or reducing in size

Register with the local authority where you have your principle place of business. If this is outside England and Wales, it should be with the local authority where the operation will be carried out.

Find a full description of T3 and T7 at Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016.

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 It sets out which exemptions will be withdrawn or restricted.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.

Treating waste exemptions

Published 28 April 2014
Last updated 29 April 2020 + show all updates
  1. We have updated the content for the 2016 version of the Environmental Permitting Regulations – we have removed references to the T22 exemption for animal by-products.

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

  3. First published.