Guidance

Treating municipal waste by aerobic digestion: RPS 257

Published 18 July 2022

Applies to England

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/treating-municipal-waste-by-aerobic-digestion-rps-257/treating-municipal-waste-by-aerobic-digestion-rps-257

This regulatory position statement (RPS) does not change your legal requirement to get an environmental permit when you aerobically treat mixed municipal waste at the place the waste was produced.

However, the Environment Agency will not normally take enforcement action against you if do not comply with this legal requirement provided:

  • your activity meets the description set out in this RPS

  • you comply with the conditions set out in this RPS

  • your activity does not cause (and is not likely to cause) pollution of the environment or harm to human health

When this RPS applies

This RPS applies to aerobically treating mixed municipal waste (waste code 20 03 01) at the place the waste was produced. For example shopping centres, hospitals and universities.

Conditions you must comply with

You must notify the Environment Agency by email at wastetreatment@environment-agency.gov.uk before you use this RPS. In your email include:

  • the words ‘RPS 257’ in the subject line

  • your name, company name and contact details

  • the address of the site where the RPS will be operated

You must:

  • only treat residual mixed municipal waste (waste code 20 03 01) by shredding, followed by aerobic digestion

  • only treat the residual mixed municipal waste after you have removed any recyclable waste streams and managed these in line with the waste hierarchy

  • only treat a maximum of 10 tonnes of mixed municipal waste per day

  • store and treat the waste in a secure place – one where you have taken all reasonable precautions to prevent waste escaping and where the public cannot access it

  • store the waste before and after treatment in containers that are fully enclosed and leak-proof to prevent and minimise odour, stop liquids escaping and prevent access by vermin and pests

  • abate emissions from the aerobic digestion process using appropriate abatement techniques, for example carbon filters

  • operate and maintain the aerobic digestion plant following the manufacturer’s instructions

You must get authorisation from the sewerage undertaker before discharging any effluent from the process to foul sewer.

You must not:

  • store waste for more than 7 days before treating it

  • discharge any effluent produced to drainage systems which discharge to controlled waters

When you must check back

The Environment Agency will review this RPS by 30 June 2024. You will need to check back then to see if it still applies or if you need to apply for an environmental permit.

The Environment Agency can withdraw or amend this enforcement position before it expires 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 think you may no longer be able to comply with its conditions, you must tell the Environment Agency immediately by emailing wastetreatment@environment-agency.gov.uk.

Contact the Environment Agency

General enquiries

National Customer Contact Centre
PO Box 544
Rotherham
S60 1BY

Email enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk

Telephone 03708 506 506

Telephone from outside the UK (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm GMT) +44 (0) 114 282 5312

Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.

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