Statutory guidance

Storing and compacting waste coffee grounds: RPS 306

Published 21 August 2024

Applies to England

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/storing-and-compacting-waste-coffee-grounds-rps-306/storing-and-compacting-waste-coffee-grounds-rps-306

This regulatory position statement (RPS) does not change your legal requirement to have an environmental permit for a waste operation when you store and compact waste coffee grounds into a briquette for use as a fuel log.

However, the Environment Agency will not normally take enforcement action against you if you do not comply with this legal requirement 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 who store and compact waste coffee grounds to make a briquette for burning as a fuel.

2. Conditions you must comply with

You must:

  • store and compact the waste coffee grounds in a building with an impermeable floor and sealed drainage

  •  keep records for 2 years to show that you have complied with this RPS and make these records available to the Environment Agency on request

You must not:

  • store more than 20 tonnes of waste coffee grounds at any one time

  • mix waste coffee grounds with other wastes except waste wood sawdust, waste code 03 01 05

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.

4. When you must check back

The Environment Agency will review this RPS by 1 May 2027.

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.

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 and put ‘RPS 306’ in the subject.

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