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
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 |
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Key limits |
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Key conditions |
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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 |
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Key limits |
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Key conditions |
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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 |
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Key limits |
Various waste types and quantity limits, depending on the proposed use. For example:
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Key conditions |
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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 |
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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 |
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Key limits |
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Key conditions |
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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 |
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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:
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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Key conditions |
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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 |
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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 |
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Key conditions |
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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 |
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Key limits |
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Key conditions |
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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 |
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Key limits |
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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 |
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Key conditions |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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Key conditions |
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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:
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Key considerations |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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Key conditions |
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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 |
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Key conditions |
The waste must not be deposited:
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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Key conditions |
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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. |
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:
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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 |
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Key conditions |
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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 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)
Register or renew
Read more about how to register or renew your waste exemptions.