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Guidance

Storing dead wild animals collected from highways and public areas: RPS 378

Published 2 September 2026

Applies to England

© Crown copyright 2026

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/storing-dead-wild-animals-collected-from-highways-and-public-areas-rps-378/storing-dead-wild-animals-collected-from-highways-and-public-areas-rps-378

This regulatory position statement (RPS) does not change your legal requirement to:

  • have an environmental permit where one is required
  • comply with the conditions of your environmental permit
  • register an activity as exempt where you are required to do so

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

1. Activity this RPS applies to

This RPS applies to storing dead wild animals, which:

  • are not infected, or suspected of being infected, with a disease that can spread to humans or animals

  • have been collected from highways and public areas

2. Conditions you must comply with

You must:

  • only store up to 5m3 of dead animals at any one time
  • only store dead animals for up to 6 months
  • only store dead animals in a freezer
  • have a statutory duty to remove dead animals (for example, for road safety)
  • ensure the dead wild animals are disposed of at an appropriately permitted facility
  • contact the Animal Plant and Health Agency (APHA) for advice if you cannot rule out that a dead wild animal is infected or suspected of being infected
  • keep records for 2 years from the date of the last use of the RPS to show that you have complied with this RPS and make these records available to the Environment Agency on request

3. Things to note

Wild animals are any animal not kept by humans.

Carcasses or parts of wild animals that are not infected, or suspected of being infected, with a disease that can spread to humans or animals are classed as controlled waste. Waste controls apply. This includes:  

  • entire bodies or parts of wild game that are not collected after killing
  • wild animal roadkill carcasses
  • carcasses from wild animal culls
  • fish kills from most pollution incidents – if they are diseased or suspected of being diseased

They may be sent for incineration, rendering or landfill at a suitably permitted site.

Dead wild animals that are infected, or suspected of being infected, with a disease that can spread to humans or animals are not covered by waste controls under the Waste Framework Directive. For example, badgers with bovine tuberculosis (TB). Instead, the Animal By-Products Regulations apply. This is regulated by APHA.

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.

4. When you must check back

The Environment Agency will review this RPS by 1 September 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 378 in the subject.

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