Guidance

Temporary storage of waste coffee pods: RPS 282

Updated 30 January 2024

Applies to England

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/temporary-storage-of-waste-coffee-pods-rps-282/temporary-storage-of-waste-coffee-pods-rps-282

This regulatory position statement (RPS) does not change your legal requirement to have or comply with an environmental permit when you store waste coffee pods.

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

Activity this RPS applies to

This RPS applies to the temporary storage of waste coffee pods (waste code 20 01 99) at:

  • a secure site or secure place as part of a dedicated takeback scheme
  • a household waste recycling centre

Secure means members of the public cannot gain access to the waste coffee pods.

Conditions you must comply with

You must:

  • store coffee pods collected as part of a dedicated takeback scheme

  • store the waste coffee pods securely in covered leakproof containers

  • send the coffee pods to a site authorised to accept this type of waste for recovery

  • 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

Securely means:

  • preventing the escape of coffee pods, or their contents
  • preventing members of the public from gaining access to them

You must not:

  • store more than 40m3 of coffee pods at any site at any one time

  • store coffee pods for more than 1 month

  • store coffee pods mixed with any other waste

Things to note

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.

When you must check back

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.

The Environment Agency intends to review this RPS by 11 August 2026.

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.

If you cannot comply with this RPS

If you operate under this RPS but can no longer comply with it, you must stop the activity to which this RPS relates and must tell the Environment Agency immediately. Email enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk and put ‘Temporary storage of waste coffee pods: RPS 282’ in the subject.

Contact the Environment Agency

If you have any questions about this RPS email enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk

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