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Guidance

Drying paper manufacturing wastes to make animal bedding: RPS 370

Published 26 May 2026

Applies to England

© Crown copyright 2026

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/drying-paper-manufacturing-wastes-to-make-animal-bedding-rps-370/drying-paper-manufacturing-wastes-to-make-animal-bedding-rps-370

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 if you do not comply with this legal requirement if you meet the requirements in the RPS 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

1. Activity this RPS applies to

This RPS applies to operators that make animal bedding from drying wastepaper fibre and de-inking sludges produced during paper manufacturing.

This RPS does not apply where the activity is carried out as part of another activity which requires a permit.

2. Conditions you must comply with

You must:

  • only treat fibre rejects, fibre filler and coating sludges from mechanical separation in cardboard and paper manufacturing (03 03 10), and de-inking sludges from paper manufacturing (03 03 05)

  • treat these wastes by drying and, if required, shredding, compacting or pelletising, to make animal bedding

  • notify the Environment Agency by emailing wastetreatment@environment-agency.gov.uk with RPS 370 in the subject before you use this RPS 

You must not:

  • store more than 300 tonnes of wet waste at any one time

  • store more than 150 tonnes of dry waste at any one time

  • treat more than 7,500 tonnes in any 12-month period
  • use waste from a site that uses, or has used, chemicals or mixtures containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in their processes 

3. Things to note

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

This RPS replaces low risk waste position (LRWP) ‘Drying paper manufacturing waste to make animal bedding: LRWP 62’.

You can register the waste exemption U8 to use animal bedding derived from paper manufacturing waste.

4. When you must check back

The Environment Agency will review this RPS by 31 March 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.

5. If you cannot comply with this RPS

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

6. Contact the Environment Agency

If you have any questions about this RPS, email enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk with RPS 370 in the subject.

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