Guidance

Burning waste wood on campfires and bonfires: RPS 50

Updated 5 January 2026

Applies to England

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/burning-of-waste-on-campfires-and-bonfires/burning-waste-on-campfires-and-bonfires-rps-50

This regulatory position statement (RPS) does not change your legal requirement to have an environmental permit where one is required.

However, the Environment Agency will not normally take enforcement action against you if you do not comply with these legal requirements provided that:

  • your activity meets the description set out in this RPS

  • you comply with the conditions set out in this RPS

In addition your activity must not cause (or be likely to cause) pollution of the environment or harm to human health, and must not:

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

  • cause a nuisance through noise or odours

  • adversely affect the countryside or places of special interest

Activity this RPS applies to

This RPS applies to those responsible for community events such as Guy Fawkes’ bonfires and Scout and Guide campfires involving the burning of waste wood in the open.

Conditions you must comply with

You must:

  • only burn waste wood in the open during community events such as Guy Fawkes’ bonfires and Scout and Guide campfires
  • only burn visibly clean waste wood – this excludes wood that has been painted, coated or treated with chemical wood preservatives
  • only burn card and paper in quantities necessary to start the fire
  • make sure the size and location of the bonfire or campfire is appropriate for the event to prevent the spread of the fire

You must not:

  • get waste wood for burning from a waste management facility 
  • burn waste wood in the open at a waste management facility

Things to note

Uncontrolled and excessive burning of the wrong wastes can cause pollution and harm human health. You should avoid burning wet wood. Wet wood creates more smoke and particulates than dry wood.    

Check your bonfires and campfires for wildlife before lighting them.

This RPS relates to an activity that the Environment Agency considers is potentially suitable to be an exemption under the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016. A change in law would be required for this.

When you must check back

The Environment Agency will review this RPS by 31 January 2029.

The Environment Agency can withdraw or amend this regulatory position before the review date if they consider it necessary. This includes where the activity that this RPS relates to has not changed.

You will need to check back from time to time, including at and before the review date, to see if this RPS still applies.

This RPS remains in force until it is removed from GOV.UK or is otherwise identified as having been withdrawn.

You can subscribe to email updates about this RPS. These will tell you if the RPS has changed and when it has been withdrawn. Use the ‘Get emails about this page’ feature on the RPS publication page.

If you cannot comply with this RPS

If you operate under this RPS but can no longer comply with it, you must:

Contact the Environment Agency

If you have any questions about this RPS, email enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk with RPS 50 in the subject.

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