Guidance

S2 waste exemption: storing waste in a secure place

The S2 waste exemption allows you to store specific waste at a secure intermediate site, separate to where the waste was produced, before transportation to another site for recovery.

• From: Environment Agency
• Published: 12 September 2019
• Last updated: 9 February 2023 — See all updates

Applies to England

Waste exemptions are changing and this will affect anyone who carries out a waste exemption activity. Defra has published its consultation supplementary response document and associated annexes explaining these changes. It sets out which exemptions will be withdrawn or restricted. This is one of the waste exemptions that will be affected. We expect changes to the exemptions will start to roll out during 2024 and continue into 2025 but timescales have not been finalised yet.

Types of activity you can carry out

These include:

• storing construction and demolition waste that can be reused without treatment, at an intermediate site before it is moved to another place to be reused
• storing olive pulp and marble chips at a port before it is moved to another place to be recovered

Types of activity you cannot carry out

You cannot:

• treat waste under this exemption see related exemptions
• store waste destined to be disposed of see related permits
• store mixed waste
• mix hazardous with non-hazardous waste.
• register this exemption to increase the storage capacity at the place where another treatment exemption such as T1, T4, T11 or a U activity is carried out

Types of waste you can store

The waste codes are those listed in the List of Wastes (LoW) Regulations. You need to make sure your waste fits within the relevant waste code and description.

Waste code	Type of waste	Storage limit (at any one time)	Period (months)
161002	aqueous paint related waste only	1,000 litres	6
160601, 160602 *, 160603 *, 160604, 160605, 200133, 200134	batteries	10 tonnes	6
150104, 200140	cans and foil only	500 tonnes	12
140601*	CFCs, HCFCs and HFCs	18 tonnes	6
170101, 170102, 170103, 170107, 170202, 170203, 170401 to 170407, 170504, 170604, 170802	construction and demolition waste (non hazardous) capable of being used in existing state only	100 tonnes	12
200125	edible oil and fat only	5,000 tonnes	12
100207*	electric arc furnace dust only	2,500 tonnes	3
020104	farm plastics (non packaging only)	500 tonnes	12
070213, 150101, 150102, 150105, 200139	Food and drink cartons	500 tonnes	12
101112, 150107, 160120, 170202, 191205, 200102	glass	5,000 tonnes	12
020102	mammalian protein only	60,000 tonnes	12
020202	mammalian tallow only	45,000 tonnes	12
200307	mattresses only	5 tonnes	3
010408, 191209	marble chips only	5,000 tonnes	12
020304	olive pulp/pellet only	5,000 tonnes	3
080111, 080112, 200127, 200128	paints (excluding specialist and industrial paints, wood preservatives, aerosol and spray paints, inks, adhesives and resins) pending reuse as paints only	10,000 litres	6
030307, 030308, 150101, 191201, 200101	paper and cardboard (excluding food and drink cartons) only	15,000 tonnes	12
090107, 090108	photographic films and papers	50 tonnes	12
070213, 120105, 150102, 160119, 191204, 200139	plastic	500 tonnes	12
100101	poultry litter ash only	3,000 tonnes	12
080318, 150102, 160216, 200139	printer cartridges only	5,000 units	6
170301*, 170302, 170504	road planings, waste road chippings, road sub-base only	500 tonnes	12
020110, 160117, 160118, 170401, 170402, 170403, 170404, 170405, 170406, 170407, 170411, 191202, 191203	scrap metal	15,000 tonnes	6
090110, 090111*, 090112	single use cameras	400 cubic metres	6
020401, 020399	soils from cleaning fruit and veg only	100 tonnes	6
100316, 100405*, 100504, 100511, 100604, 100811, 100899	solder metal, skimmings, ashes and residues	100 tonnes	3
140602, 140603, 200113*	solvents and solvent mixtures	5 cubic metres	6
100101, 100102, 100105, 100115	synthetic gypsum and pulverised fuel ash only	2,500 tonnes	3
040222, 150109, 191208, 200110, 200111	textiles and clothes	1,000 tonnes	12
160103, 191204	tyres, tyre chip and crumb	40 tonnes	3
110113, 120301, 160708*	waste cleaning solution containing 2% sodium metasilicate and 1 to 2% waste oil only	3 tonnes	3
160211, 160213, 160214, 160216, 200121, 200123, 200135*, 200136	WEEE	400 cubic metres	6
030301, 150102, 150103, 200138	wine bottle corks only	500 tonnes	12
030105, 170201, 170204, 191206, 191207, 200137*, 200138	Wood, including telegraph poles and railway sleepers (hazardous and non hazardous)	100 tonnes	12

*These are hazardous waste

Conditions

The conditions are:

• each type of waste must be stored separately
• the storage must take place at a secure place
• the storage of the waste is pending its recovery elsewhere
• each waste shall not be stored for longer than the specified time period

The additional specific conditions apply to some specified types of waste.

Aqueous paint related waste only

• the waste is stored in a container
• the waste is stored with secondary containment

Batteries:

• the waste is stored in a container
• the storage place has sealed drainage

CFCs, HCFCs and HFCs:

• the waste is stored in a container
• the waste is stored with secondary containment

Edible oil and fat only:

• the waste is stored in a container
• the waste is stored with secondary containment

Electric arc furnace dust only:

• the waste is stored indoors
• the waste is stored at a dock before being exported or after being imported
• the waste must arrive at the storage place in bags and must be stored there in bags or in drums

Farm plastics (non-packaging):

• the waste is stored indoors

Glass:

• the storage place has sealed drainage

Mammalian protein only:

• the waste is stored indoors

Mammalian tallow only:

• the waste is stored indoors

Mattresses only:

• the waste is stored indoors

Olive pulp and pellet:

• the storage place has sealed drainage
• the waste is stored with secondary containment
• the waste is stored at a dock before being exported or after being imported

Paints (excluding specialist and industrial paints, wood preservatives, aerosol and spray paints, inks, adhesives and resins) pending reuse as paints:

• the waste is stored in a container
• the waste is stored with secondary containment

Paper and cardboard (excluding food and drink cartons):

• the waste is stored in a baled form, in a container or indoors
• within the quantity limit specified and despite this additional specific condition, up to 1,000 tonnes may be stored outdoors as long as it is stored in an enclosure designed and maintained to prevent litter escaping

Photographic films and papers:

• the waste is stored in a baled form, in a container or indoors

Poultry litter ash only:

• the waste is stored indoors
• the waste is stored at a dock before being exported or after being imported

Printer cartridges only:

• the waste is stored indoors

Scrap metal:

• the storage place has sealed drainage
• the waste is stored at a dock before being exported or after being imported

Solder metal, skimmings, ashes and residues:

• the waste is stored in bags or in drums

Solvents and solvent mixtures:

• the waste is stored in a container
• the waste is stored with secondary containment

Synthetic gypsum and pulverized fuel ash only:

• the waste is stored indoors
• the waste is stored at a dock before being exported or after being imported
• the waste must arrive at the storage place in bags and must be stored there in bags or in drums

Tyres, tyre chip and crumb:

• the total quantity of waste stored together does not exceed 10 tonnes; this is to reduce the risk of fire spreading

Waste cleaning solution containing 2% sodium metasilicate and 1% to 2% waste oil only:

• the waste is stored in a container
• the waste is stored with secondary containment

WEEE:

• you must comply with the requirements in paragraph 1 of Annex III to the WEEE Directive; this means storage on an impermeable surface and with weatherproof covering where you are storing WEEE containing hazardous materials or fluids and where storing whole appliances that are to be reused

What else you need to know

Hazardous waste is subject to the Hazardous Waste Regulations.

Related exemptions

T1: Cleaning, washing, spraying or coating relevant waste

T2: Recovering textiles

T4: Preparatory treatments, such as baling, sorting, shredding

S1: Storing waste in secure containers

Related permits

You will need an environmental permit if you want to store:

• waste at an intermediate site for treatment or use not covered in related exemptions or under a permit for recovery
• mixed waste at an intermediate site for treatment
• waste prior to disposal

Find out more about environmental permits for waste.

Register a S2 exemption

You need to register this exemption with us if you meet the requirements.

Published 12 September 2019
Last updated 9 February 2023 + show all updates

1. 9 February 2023

   We have added information about changes to this waste exemption that are likely to happen during 2024 to 2025.

2. 12 September 2019

   First published.