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Understand your waste exemptions for agricultural activities

As a farmer registering or renewing waste exemptions, find exemption codes, descriptions, conditions and limits for common agricultural activities

In this section

Common agricultural exemptions

All waste exemptions (Gov.uk)

Spreading waste milk during the coronavirus pandemic

A regulatory decision to relax existing rules for the spreading of waste milk on agricultural land

We have put in place a temporary measure to relax the usual rules that allow some farms to spread waste milk.

You will need to apply for a U10 exemption and demonstrate that you can meet the specific criteria to protect the environment.

To find out more about the changes to the U10 exemption, please contact enquiries@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk or call 03000 65 3000.

Common agricultural exemptions

Each exemption has a code and a title eg: U1 – use of waste in construction.

The exemption code is what you need to know to register an exemption.

There are four categories of waste exemption: use, treatment, disposal and storage.

Use of waste

An example of a use of waste exemption is spreading compost on your land to improve the soil, or using shredded paper as animal bedding.

See use of waste exemptions and codes for agricultural activities

Treatment of waste

An example of a treatment of waste exemption is using an anaerobic digester to help you manage manures and slurries.

See treatment of waste exemptions and codes for agricultural activities.

Disposal of waste

An example of a disposal of waste exemption is burning hedge trimmings in the open or spreading dredgings on the banks of farm ditches.

See disposal of waste exemptions and codes for agricultural activities

Storage of waste

An example of a storage of waste exemption is storing sewage sludge before spreading it under the Sludge (Use in Agriculture) Regulations.

See storage of waste exemptions and codes for agricultural activities

Use of waste

U1	Use of waste in construction
Examples of farming activities	Using road planings and hardcore to maintain tracks and roads Using woodchip as a surfacing for a path Using rubble from a demolished farm building in the foundations of a new barn or shed Using clay to build an earth banked slurry lagoon
Key limits	5000 tonnes of waste like gravel, clay, sand, rocks, concrete, bricks and tiles, and aggregates for construction activities 1000 tonnes of soil and stones, or dredging spoil for construction activities or 1000 tonnes of untreated wood, bark or road planings on tracks, paths and bridleways (but it must be chipped)
Key conditions	The total quantity of waste used or stored over any 3-year period does not exceed the quantity limit of the table Where one or more waste type is used or stored, the total quantity of combined waste used or stored over any 3-year period must not exceed the limits No waste is stored for longer then 12 months prior to use
What else you need to know	The limits in this exemption are over a three year period. You can do landscaping associated with a new building, or maintain or improve an existing building. You cannot raise levels to fill a frost pocket, pit or hollow. Also, you cannot undertake significant ground raising before construction or raise levels over a boggy area.

U4	Burning of waste as a fuel in a small appliance
Examples of farming activities	Burning untreated waste wood in boilers used to heat buildings or provide hot water Burning untreated waste wood from agriculture and forestry, joinery or construction, untreated wooden pallets or packing crates
Key limits	Burn up to 50kg of waste as fuel per hour Securely store up to 10 tonnes of the waste at a time Use a stove or boiler with a net rated thermal input below 0.4 MW
Key conditions	The appliance that the waste is burnt in has a net rated thermal input of less than 0.4 megawatts Where the appliance is used together with other appliances (whether or not it is operated simultaneously with such other appliances), the aggregate net rated thermal input of all the appliances is less than 0.4 megawatts The total quantity of waste burned in an hour can not exceed 50kg The total quantity of waste stored at any one time does not exceed 10 tonnes The waste is stored in a secure place
What else you need to know	The burning of waste oil as a fuel in an appliance is regulated by the local authority. Any operators that want to undertake this activity must apply for a local authority environmental permit.

U8	Use of waste for a specified purpose
Examples of farming activities	Using untreated waste wood shavings or dried paper sludges as animal bedding Using tyres on a silage clamp Using shredded rubber in a horse menage Using telegraph poles for pole barns
Key limits	Various waste types and quantity limits, depending on the proposed use. For example: 1,000 tonnes of shredded or granulated rubber and tyres in a horse menage 100 tonnes of shredded paper, cardboard, untreated and uncoated woodchips and oversized compost, paper pulp and paper sludges from recycling paper as animal bedding 40 tonnes of tyres to weight sheeting on silage clamps (no more than 10 tonnes of tyres can be stored together to minimise the risks of fire) 100 tonnes of telegraph poles for pole barns or fencing
Key conditions	The total amount of waste stored or used at any one time must not exceed the limits The waste must not be treated or required to be treated prior to use
What else you need to know	The exemption allows a wider range of wastes than listed here and it has a number of specific limits and conditions that relate to certain wastes.

U9	Use of waste to manufacture finished goods
Examples of farming activities	Using waste wood to make crooks or walking sticks.
Key limits	Various waste types and quantity limits, depending on the proposed use, for example 100 tonnes of wood to make crooks or walking sticks.
Key conditions	The total amount of waste stored or used at any one time must not exceed the limits The waste must be stored indoors or in a secure container The finished goods must be ready for use by an end customer without further processing
What else you need to know	The exemption allows a wider range of wastes than listed here and it has a number of specific limits and conditions that relate to certain wastes.

U10	Spreading waste on agricultural land to confer benefit
Examples of farming activities	Spreading ditch dredging spoil on land to provide nutrients Spreading compost made produced under a T23 exemption (or standard rules permit SR2011No1) on your land Using digestate produced in an anaerobic digestion (AD) plant operated under either a T24 or T25 exemption (or standard rules permit SR2010No16) as an alternative to using inorganic fertiliser Adding waste chalk to soil as a liming agent to improve soils
Key limits	50 tonnes per hectare per year for chalk as a liming agent 50 tonnes per hectare per year for compost or for digestate from anaerobic digestion 150 tonnes per hectare per year for ditch dredging spoil
Key conditions	You must not spread the waste if the land if is waterlogged, frozen or snow covered or has been frozen for 12 hours or more in the 24 hours before you want to start spreading The waste must provide an agricultural benefit, because this exemption is not for disposing of waste. You should use only the minimum amount of waste needed to achieve the benefit You cannot store or spread waste within 10 metres of a watercourse or 50 metres from a spring, well or borehole- except for ditch dredging spoil which can only be spread next to the ditch from which it is dredged You cannot move ditch dredging spoil between farms You cannot spread wastes which are not listed in the exemption or above limits stated You can only register one U10 exemption for spreading waste per farm. If you need to store at greater quantities or spread at higher rates then you must do this under a permit for land-spreading
What else you need to know	The exemption allows a wider range of wastes than those listed above and also has a number of specific limits and conditions relating to specific wastes. You can only register one U10 exemption for spreading waste per farm. If you need to store at greater quantities or spread at higher rates then you must do this under a permit for land-spreading.

U15	Pig and poultry ash
Examples of farming activities	Spreading ash from incineration of pig and poultry carcasses to benefit the soil.
Key limits	The maximum amount of ash you can spread under this exemption is 150kg per hectare in a 12 month period.
Key conditions	The ash must be mixed with an equal amount of slurry or manure before spreading The ash can only be spread at the farm where the carcasses were burnt The ash must be stored in a secure place before spreading To prevent drinking water and watercourses being polluted the ash mix cannot be stored or spread within 10 metres of a watercourse, or 50 metres of a spring, well or borehole You must not spread the waste if the land is waterlogged, frozen or snow covered or has been frozen for 12 hours or more in the 24 hours before you want to start spreading
What else you need to know	Any incineration of pig and poultry carcasses you carry out must be in accordance with the requirements of the Animal By-Products Regulations. This means that you must not spread the ash on grazing land. The incinerator must have approval from Animal Health.

U2	Use of baled end-of-life tyres in construction
Examples of farming activities	Using tyre bales instead of virgin aggregates on soft or unstable ground. For example, tyre bales can be used as an alternative to gabions in slope stability repairs as road foundations over soft ground, or as drainage layers.
Key limits	You can use up to 50 tonnes of baled tyres (approximately 50 tyre bales).
Key conditions	The tyre bales must: be produced and used in accordance with PAS108 requirements be suitable for the type of construction work you are carrying out be used only once, and not be stored for longer than three months before you use them
What else you need to know	The PAS 108 standard states that tyre bales should not be left exposed to sunlight after use. If you need to use other wastes as well in the construction project you will need the U1 exemption as well. It may be helpful to involve an engineer to help you understand the engineering properties of baled tyres.

U5	Use of waste derived biodiesel as fuel
Examples of farming activities	Using biodiesel produced from waste vegetable oils and fats as a substitute fuel in tractors or generators.
Key limits	Using biodiesel produced from waste vegetable oils and fats as a substitute fuel in tractors or generators.
Key considerations	The portable generator must have a net rated thermal input of less than 0.4 megawatts If the generator is used together with other portable generators (whether or not it is operated simultaneously with such other generators) the aggregate net rated thermal input of all the generators must be less than 0.4 megawatts
What else you need to know	The biodiesel storage must have secondary containment, such as a bund that will contain the liquid stored if the container leaks or splits. If you want to treat waste vegetable oil or fat to make your biodiesel you need to register the T19 exemption.

U12	Use of mulch
Examples of farming activities	Spreading organic mulch made from untreated wood and plant matter around trees and other crops
Key limits	Untreated wood and plant tissue from agriculture, horticulture or forestry and parks and gardens only
Key conditions	The total quantity of waste used or stored over any period of 1 months cannot be more than100 tonnes per month The waste must be stored in a secure location prior to use
What else you need to know	The T6 exemption can be used to chip or shred plant tissue before mulching.

U13	Spreading of plant matter to confer benefit
Examples of farming activities	Spreading trimmings and off-cuts from an on-farm pack house back onto the land to return nutrients to the soil.
Key limits	The waste can only be spread at the place (farm) where it was produced Plant tissue from agriculture, horticulture, forestry, processing of fruit vegetables, cereals etc, only You can spread up to 50 tonnes per hectare in any 12 month period
Key conditions	To prevent pollution, you must not spread the plant matter if the land has been frozen for 12 hours or more in the preceding 24 hours, or is waterlogged or snow-covered You can’t spread any vegetation within 50 metres of any water course, spring, well or borehole. The exception is vegetation which is spread on the banks of the waters where it was cut
What else you need to know

U14	Incorporating ash from burning plant tissue
Examples of farming activities	Ploughing in ash from burning of cereal straw or cereal stubble, or ash from burning plant tissue under D7 exemption, to return nutrients to the soil.
Key limits	You can spread up to 10 tonnes per hectare
Key conditions	The burning and incorporation must take place only at the farm where waste is produced. You cannot incorporate ash from another farm or ash from burning waste other than cereal straw, cereal stubble or plant tissue If burning cereal straw or cereal stubble, the ash must be incorporated within 24 hours of being burnt. Or, if wind conditions would result in a dust nuisance, as soon as wind conditions allow
What else you need to know	If you burn cereal straw or cereal stubble you must also comply with Crop Residue (Burning) Regulations 1993. This exemption can be used together with the D7 exemption.

Treatment of waste

T1	Cleaning, washing, spraying or coating relevant waste
Examples of farming activities	This exemption can be used for the washing or cleaning of agricultural and horticultural plastics such as silage wrap or plastic mulch. It can also be used to allow packaging materials such as emptied pesticide containers or feed sacks to be reused or recycled.
Key limits	The total quantity of waste treated over any 7 day period does not exceed 300 tonnes Except for waste containers which have held dangerous substances, the total quantity of waste stored at any one time does not exceed 300 tonnes Where the waste consists of containers that have been used to contain a dangerous substance, the total quantity of waste stored does not exceed 1 tonne over any 7 day period The waste is not contaminated by more than 1% of its original volume prior to treatment
Key conditions	The waste is stored and treated in a location with sealed drainage No waste is stored for longer than 3 months prior to treatment
What else you need to know	This exemption does not include any spray coating with paints or lacquers that fall within local authority control under Part B of section 6.4 of Part 2 of Schedule 1 of the Environmental Permitting (England & Wales) Regulations 2010.

T4	Preparatory treatments (baling, sorting, shredding etc.)
Examples of farming activities	Operating a hub site to process waste paper cardboard, plastics or metal cans and foils for recycling on behalf of other farmers Sorting , baling loose paper and cardboard or plastics prior to transporting it to another site for treatment Baling and shredding aluminium cans
Key limits	There are different quantity limits depending on whether the treatment is carried out indoors or outdoors, and depending on the materials. The total quantity of waste treated over any 7-day period does not exceed the limit specified in the full guidance The total quantity of waste stored at any one time does not exceed the limit specified in the full guidance Where the treatment involves pulverising waste the total quantity of waste treated over any 7-day period does not exceed 5 tonnes and the treatment is carried on indoors
Key conditions	No waste can be stored for longer than 12 months The treatment and storage are carried on in a secure place
What else you need to know	You cannot use this exemption to treat (sort) mixed waste. The waste must arrive on the site unmixed with any other type of waste. For example, plastics may be mixed together (you can sort the plastic into types) but plastics and paper cannot be mixed.

T5	Screening and blending of waste
Examples of farming activities	Blending compost and soils to make a better soil Crushing and screening road planings so they can be used to surface tracks
Key limits	You can store and treat up to 5,000 tonnes of materials other than road planings in a three year period For road planings you can store or process up to 50,000 tonnes over a three year period You can store the waste for up to 12 months
Key conditions	The treatment is carried on at the place of production or where the treated waste is to be used.
What else you need to know	Road planings must not be coated with coal tar because these are hazardous waste. Bitumen coated road planings are acceptable. You cannot bring in waste for treatment then supply it to other users. If you are making soil for agricultural use you must use uncontaminated soils from construction or parks and gardens and you must get a permit to spread the soils. You must only incorporate compost produced under T23 exemption. In this exemption "associated prior treatment" can include crushing unless it is done under a local authority permit.

T6	Treatment of wood and waste plant matter by chipping shredding, cutting or pulverising
Examples of farming activities	Chipping plant tissue waste, untreated wood waste from joinery or construction or untreated wooden packaging like pallets to make animal bedding or for surfacing tracks or paths.
Key limits	Acceptable waste types are plant tissue from agriculture, horticulture or forestry Untreated wood from joinery or construction. Untreated wooden packaging such as pallets
Key conditions	You can store and treat: up to 500 tonnes of untreated wood, vegetation and untreated wooden packaging in any seven day period No waste is stored for longer than 3 months after treatment
What else you need to know	This exemption can be used to chip suitable wastes before use under the U1, U4, U8, U12 and U13 exemptions

T23	Aerobic composting and associated prior treatment
Examples of farming activities	Composting hedge trimmings, crop wastes, horse or farmyard manures and other vegetation
Key limits	You can compost clean paper or cardboard produced in your farming activity, along with plant tissue and crop wastes and horse manure or farmyard manure
Key conditions	If you want to compost your own waste, and use the compost on your farm, you can store or treat up to 80 tonnes of waste at a time If you want to bring waste from other farms onto your farm to compost it or you want to compost your waste on the farm and use the compost somewhere else. The limit is 60 tonnes of waste at a time You can include up to 20 tonnes of manure and 10 tonnes of paper or cardboard The treatment must result in a stable sanitised material that can be applied to land for the benefit of agriculture or to improve the soil structure or nutrients in land
What else you need to know	Composting may be done in open windrows or heaps which are regularly turned or in small closed vessels which is known as In-Vessel Composting (IVC). For the purposes of this exemption "associated prior treatment" means screening, chipping, shredding, cutting, pulverising or sorting waste for the purposes of composting. U10 exemption allows the spreading of this compost for agricultural benefit.

T32	Treatment of waste in a biobed or biofilter
Examples of farming activities	Treating non hazardous pesticide washings in a lined biobed
Key limits	You can treat up to 15,000 litres of dilute non-hazardous pesticide washings in a 12 month period at the farm where it was produced.
Key conditions	The biobed must be located at least 10 metres from a watercourse, 250 metres from a spring, well or borehole supplying water for drinking or food production and 50 metres from any other spring well or borehole.
What else you need to know	The biobed must not be sited in a groundwater source protection zone 1, and it must be constructed in accordance with the Voluntary Initiative’s Biobed and Biofilter manual. This exemption applies to systems like the Phytobac which are biobeds without a discharge. Treated material from the biobed can be applied to agricultural land under the U10 exemption, provided the treated material is stored for another 12 months before spreading.

T8	Mechanical treatment of end-of-life tyres
Examples of farming activities	Chipping and shredding tyres to use in horse menages
Key limits	Tyres only
Key conditions	You can store and treat up to 60 tonnes of truck tyres or 40 tonnes of other types of tyres in any seven day period Tyres can be stored in piles of up to 10 tonnes, but there must be a fire break between each pile of tyres
What else you need to know	For the purposes of this exemption "associated prior treatment" means cleaning tyres and separating rims from them prior to treatment. The U8 exemption allows use of the chipped rubber in a horse menages

T13	Treatment of waste food
Examples of farming activities	Unwrapping the plastic and other packaging from waste food prior to feeding it to livestock
Key limits	Food waste from preparation of fruit and vegetables, dairy products, baking and confectionery and production of alcoholic and non alcoholic beverages
Key conditions	You can store and treat up to 30 tonnes of waste at any one time, and store the waste for up to seven days The storage and treatment must be indoors, in a secure place The packaging you remove from the food must go for recovery or recycling, and not disposal You must also comply with the requirements of the Animal By-products Regulations (ABPR) You can find further information on the ABPR on Defra’s website
What else you need to know	Feeding catering waste (waste from kitchens and restaurants) to farm animals is illegal.

T19	Physical and chemical treatment of waste edible oil and fat to produce biodiesel
Examples of farming activities	Filtering, blending and heating waste vegetable oils to make a substitute fuel for motor vehicles
Key limits	The only waste types allowed are edible cooking oils and fats You can store up to 5,000 litres of waste cooking oil for up to three months before using it to make biodiesel. It must be stored in containers with secondary containment
Key conditions	If you are producing biodiesel using physical methods such as blending, filtering, mixing and heating then you can treat up to 5,000 litres of waste cooking oils and other edible oils and fats If you are producing biodiesel using chemical methods you can treat up to 250 litres of waste cooking oils and other edible oils and fats
What else you need to know	You can use the biodiesel as fuel in accordance with a U5 exemption.

T24	Anaerobic digestion at premises used for agriculture and burning of the resultant biogas
Examples of farming activities	Setting up an anaerobic digester on your farm and using the gas to heat buildings.
Key limits	You can treat plant tissue from: agriculture, horticulture and forestry construction sites and parks and gardens horse and farmyard manure
Key considerations	You can anaerobically digest up to 1,250 cubic metres of manure and vegetation in an Anaerobic Digestion (AD) plant to produce a digestate. Waste must be kept in the digester for at least 28 days You can burn the biogas produced by the AD process to produce energy for your farm or export it to the national grid. The biogas burner must have a net rated thermal input of less than 0.4 MW You can sort, screen, cut, shred, pulverise and chip the waste to aid the AD process
What else you need to know	The stabilised digestate can be spread on agricultural land under the U10 exemption.

T27	Treatment of sheep dip using organophosphate-degrading enzyme
Examples of farming activities	Using Landguard OP-A to treat sheep dip.
Key limits	Organophosphate sheep dip only.
Key conditions	You can treat up to 8,000 litres of sheep dip in a 24 hour period at the farm where it was produced You must use the enzyme is n accordance with manufacturer’ s instructions The treatment must be carried out within an impermeable drain pen or secure sheep dip bath You cannot import used pesticide from another farm
What else you need to know	You will still need to dispose of sheep dip which has been treated with the enzyme in accordance with the conditions outlined in your existing environmental permit or the enzyme treatment sheep dip standard rules permit.

T29	Treatment of non-hazardous pesticide washings by carbon filtration for disposal
Examples of farming activities	Treating pesticide washings in a sentinel unit.
Key limits	Non-hazardous pesticide washings only.
Key conditions	You can treat up to 8,000 litres of non-hazardous pesticide washings in a 24 hour period at the farm where it was produced in a sealed unit with sealed drainage You cannot import used pesticide from another farm
What else you need to know	You will still need to dispose of the non-hazardous pesticide washings treated in the carbon filtration unit in accordance with the conditions outlined in your existing environmental permit.

Disposal of waste

D1	Deposit of waste from dredging of inland waters
Examples of farming activities	Clearing silt from streams and ditches and depositing it on the banks.
Key limits	Dredging spoil from a stream, ditch or other inland water.
Key conditions	You can deposit up to 50 cubic metres of dredged material per metre of bank in any 12 month period The waste must be deposited at the closest possible point to where the waste was produced, ie: The bank of the inland waters from which the waste was produced The width of land adjoining the inland waters to allow the waste to be removed and deposited by mechanical means in one operation
What else you need to know	The deposit does not have to result in benefit to agriculture. You cannot deposit the material away from the bank of the watercourse unless in accordance with an exemption such as U1 or U10 or a permit

D3	Deposit of waste from a portable toilet
Examples of farming activities	Burial of waste from portable toilets used by fruit pickers.
Key limits	Waste from portable sanitary convenience only You can bury up to 1 cubic metre of the portable toilet waste in a 12 month period
Key conditions	You must not bury the waste within 10 metres of a watercourse or within 50 metres of a spring, well or borehole The waste can only be buried at the place that the portable toilets are used
What else you need to know

D4	Deposit of plant tissue under a plant health notice
Examples of farming activities	Depositing diseased crops in heaps when a plant health notice requiring this has been issued.
Key limits	Plant tissue from agriculture, horticulture or forestry only You can deposit the spoilt crops in heaps of up to 250 tonnes
Key conditions	The waste must not be deposited: when the ground is waterlogged, snow covered or frozen if the ground was frozen for 12 hours or more in the previous 24 hours within 10 metres of a watercourse or within 50 metres of a spring, well or borehole
What else you need to know	You cannot bring in plant tissue from another farm.

D6	Disposal of waste by incineration
Examples of farming activities	Burning untreated wood waste or vegetation in an incinerator on the farm where it was produced.
Key limits	Untreated wood and plant tissue only You can store up to 5 tonnes of the permitted waste types
Key conditions	The incinerator must not be able to burn more than 50 kg waste per hour or have a net rated thermal input of more than 0.4 MW.
What else you need to know	You cannot burn mixed waste from the farm not can you burn waste from any other premises.

D7	Burning waste in the open
Examples of farming activities	Burning untreated wood waste or vegetation on a bonfire at the farm where it was produced.
Key limits	Plant tissue from agriculture and horticulture and forestry.
Key conditions	You can store up to 20 tonnes of the permitted waste types for up to six months You can burn up to 10 tonnes in 24 hours This exemption doesn’t allow burning of any other waste You cannot bring in waste from other premises to burn
What else you need to know	It is preferable to burn untreated wood and plant tissue as a fuel in an appliance under U5 exemption. You must not cause dark smoke or nuisance through odour.

Storage of waste

S1	Storage of waste in secure containers
Examples of farming activities	Operating a plastic packaging collection hub for farmers. A collection hub is a site where farmers bring their plastic packaging waste like fertilizer sacks or pesticide containers and it is bulked up prior to being sent off for recycling.
Key limits	You can store up to 400 cubic metres of plastics and plastic packaging in up to a maximum of 20 containers You can store used oil filters, up to 3 cubic metres Paper or cardboard up to 400 cubic metres You can store the waste for up to 12 months You must not receive wastes which are unsuitable for recycling or recovery
Key conditions	The waste must be sent for recycling, and not disposal Oil filters must be stored in a suitable container with secondary containment You should keep the different waste types separately
What else you need to know	This exemption allows a number of different wastes to be stored in containers, the full guidance gives more information. This exemption allows you to receive a limited range of agricultural wastes from other farmers, provided they will be sent off site for recycling or recovery. If you need to sort or bale the materials you need to register T4 exemption as well.

S2	Storage of waste in a secure place
Examples of farming activities	Operating a plastic silage wrap collection hub for farmers. A collection hub is a site where farmers bring their used silage wrap and it is bulked up prior to being sent off for recycling.
Key limits	There are a wide range of waste types acceptable under S2 exemption. For example: You can store up to 500 tonnes of plastic silage wrap in a building prior to it being sent for recycling Construction and demolition materials which can be used in existing state 100 tonnes You can store waste for up to 12 months
Key conditions	Each waste type must be stored separately
What else you need to know	This exemption allows a number of different wastes to be stored and the full guidance gives more information. You cannot use this exemption to store mixed waste or to treat waste. Treating includes sorting. If you need to sort plastic into different grades or types you also need the exemption. This exemption allows you to receive suitable wastes from other farmers, provided they are being sent somewhere else to be recycled or recovered. You cannot receive or store waste for disposal under this exemption.

S3	Storage of sludge
Examples of farming activities	Storing sewage sludge temporarily at the farm where it will be spread under the Sludge (Use in Agriculture) Regulations 1989.
Key limits	Sewage sludge or septic tank sludge only You can store up to 1,250 tonnes of sludge in a secure location for up to 12 months
Key conditions	The sludge store must be located at least: 10 metres from a watercourse 250 metres from a spring, well or borehole supplying water for drinking or food production, and 50 metres from any other spring well or borehole The waste must not be stored within a Groundwater Source Protection Zone 1
What else you need to know	After storage, the waste must be used in accordance with the Sludge (Use in Agriculture) Regulations 1989(a). You will need to make sure you also comply with the Regulations on Nitrate Vulnerable Zones where relevant. Where you store sewage sludge to be spread, the place you must register is the spreading area associated with that stockpile. This is provided that the total quantity of each stockpile of sludge is no more than is to be spread in accordance with the sludge regulations at that location and it is stored in accordance with all other exemption requirements.

All waste exemptions (Gov.uk)

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Spreading waste milk during the coronavirus pandemic

The rules about spreading waste milk have been temporarily relaxed during the coronavirus pandemic.

You will need to apply for a U10 exemption and comply with the following conditions:

Waste milk should only be spread to land if all other options for storage and use have been exhausted.
Your waste milk must be only spread on improved land which is of lowest risk of causing pollution. i.e. not steeply sloping and have a cover of vegetation.
Improved land with a high or fluctuating groundwater level is NOT deemed low risk.
Any existing legal requirements regarding the management of the improved land must be complied with e.g. The Environmental Impact Assessment (Agriculture) (Wales) Regulations, Glastir or SSSI contracts.
You must not spread waste milk if the land is: waterlogged or drained within the last 12 months, frozen or covered with snow or has been frozen for 12 hours or more in the 24 hours, or heavy rain fall forecast in the next 48 hours before you want to start spreading.
Spreading must not take place on bare soil, within 10m of any watercourse (includes ditches), 50m of any well, spring, borehole or in a groundwater source protection zone.
Do not apply more than 50 m3 of slurry or dirty water per hectare (4,500 gallons per acre) in a single application to reduce run-off risk. Pay careful attention on all sites to make sure that spreading does not cause ponding or run-off.
Leave at least 3 weeks between each application to reduce surface sealing and to let the soil recover.
Waste milk must be diluted with an equal or greater amount of water or slurry before it is spread.
If waste milk is diluted with water or parlour washings, spreading should be at a reduced rate to that of slurry as run off risk is much higher.
Spreading should only take place when soil and weather conditions are suitable.
If spreading on maize stubble waste milk should be ploughed in immediately.
Spreading should be carried out using band spreader or dribble bar where possible to minimise odour.
Bullet points in green above are included within the existing COGAP requirements and should be followed for any application to land of organic manures.
You must keep records of where(fields), what (dilutant, % and rate) and when (date) the waste milk was spread on your improved land for 2 years.
You must make these records available to any officials who ask to see them.

Understand your waste exemptions for agricultural activities

In this section

Common agricultural exemptions

Use of waste

Treatment of waste

Disposal of waste

Storage of waste

Use of waste

Treatment of waste

Disposal of waste

Storage of waste

All waste exemptions (Gov.uk)

Register or renew

Spreading waste milk during the coronavirus pandemic

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