Guidance

Storing and cutting waste rubber conveyor belts for reuse: RPS 305

Published 8 July 2024

Applies to England

This regulatory position statement (RPS) does not change your legal requirement to have an environmental permit for a waste operation when you store and cut waste rubber conveyor belts for reuse.

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 cut waste rubber conveyor belts for reuse.

2. Conditions you must comply with

You must:

  • store the waste rubber conveyor belts in a secure place before cutting

  • only manually cut the waste rubber conveyor belts for reuse – no other treatment is allowed

  • store no more than 100 tonnes of waste at any one time

  • store waste for no more than 6 months

  • 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

3. Things to note

Manual cutting means use of hand-held tools including:

  • power tools
  • grab or machine bucket to move the waste

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This RPS remains in force until it is removed from GOV.UK or is otherwise identified as having been withdrawn.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 These will tell you if the RPS has changed and when it has been withdrawn.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 305’ in the subject.