Guidance

Incinerating wild animal carcasses: RPS 218

Environment Agency regulatory position on when you can incinerate wild animal carcasses in an incinerator.

• From: Environment Agency
• Published: 17 January 2019
• Last updated: 3 July 2023
  Show all updates

  1. 3 July 2023

     Extended the review date to 14 June 2026 and used the Environment Agency's updated regulatory position statement template.

  2. 17 January 2019

     First published.

This publication was withdrawn on 11 August 2026

This regulatory position statement has been withdrawn and cannot be used.

To dispose of wild animal carcasses, you must take it to an appropriately permitted site which can accept waste coded 02 01 01. The disposal options are:

• municipal waste incinerators
• clinical waste incinerators
• rendering plants
• landfills

Applies to England

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Incinerating wild animal carcasses: RPS 218

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This regulatory position statement (RPS) does not change your legal requirement to have an environmental permit for a waste operation when you incinerate wild animal carcasses in an incinerator.

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.

The regulatory position does not apply to any other legal requirements.