U11: spreading waste on non-agricultural land

Question

Accepted Answer

There鈥檚 a charge for most waste exemptions

This exemption is in band 2. Read waste exemption charges to find out what the charges and charging bands are.

1. Activities听you can carry out听

You can spread certain types of waste on听non-agricultural land to improve or听maintain听the physical,听chemical听and biological properties of the soil.听

Non-agricultural land includes parkland and communal gardens.听

You must follow the exemption conditions, including specific conditions and requirements for certain types of waste.

Find out more about landspreading to improve soil health.

2. Activities听you cannot carry out听

You cannot:听

spread waste that does not听benefit听the land听
spread more waste than you need to听benefit听the land 鈥� any excess is classed as disposal听
spread waste on听agricultural land - see听U10 in related exemptions听

3. Types and听amounts of waste you can use听

The waste you store and spread must fit within the waste codes and descriptions听given听in the table.听听

The amount you can spread is given in tonnes per hectare per year. The amount you can store is given in tonnes.听

Some of these waste types must听first be听treated under a different exemption or under certain environmental听permits听before听you can use them.

See section 6 鈥榃aste types that must be spread under another exemption or permit鈥� for full details.

Waste	Type of waste	Amount you can spread per hectare (tonnes)	Storage (tonnes)
01听01听02 01听04听08 17听05听04	Chalk	50	200
02听02听02	Shellfish shells from which the soft tissue or flesh has been removed	50	200
02听03听99 02听04听01	Soil from cleaning fruit and vegetables only	50	200
10听01听01	Ash from wood chip boilers registered and operating under U4 exemption	1	10
17听05听06	Dredging spoil (except that in waste code 17听05听05*) from creating or maintaining habitats, ditches or ponds in parks, gardens, fields and forests	150	1,250
02听01听99	Used compost from growing mushrooms	50	500
19听05听99	Compost produced only from the limited list of waste and in the proportions stated in the T23 exemption or the T26 exemption or environmental permit	50	500
19听06听04	Digestate produced only from the limited range of waste and conditions allowed under T24 and T25 exemptions or environmental permit	50	200
19听08听12	Biobed or biofilter material produced from a treatment registered and operated under T32 exemption	50	200
20听01听08	Coffee grounds	50	200

4. Conditions听of U11 exemption听

These conditions apply to all waste types used under U11听exemption. Some waste types have specific conditions that are listed separately.听

You must not store or spread more than the听maximum听amount shown in the tables for each type of waste.听

The site where you store and spread the waste (except for dredging spoil) must be:听

at least听10 metres from a watercourse听
at least 50 metres from a spring, well or borehole听

4.1 Storing听

You must store waste in a听secure location. This means that you will make sure waste cannot escape and the public cannot gain access to it.听

You can store听U11听waste types,听except听biobed听and biofilter material,听for听up to 12 months.听听

Biobed听and biofilter material听must听be stored for听at least 12听months before you can听spread听it.听

4.2 Spreading听

You must not spread waste on land that:听

is waterlogged, frozen or covered with snow听
has been frozen for 12 hours or more in the 24 hours before you start spreading

5. Waste types with specific conditions听

Some waste types used under a U11听exemption have specific conditions attached to them, as well as the general conditions that apply to all the waste types.听

5.1 Dredging spoil听

Dredging spoil must be spread on land next to where it was dredged.听

5.2 Biobed听and听biofilter听material听

Biobed听and听biofilter听material听must be听stored for at least听12 months听before听being听spread.

6. Waste that must be treated first under another exemption or permit听

Some waste types must have been produced under other exemptions or permits before you can use them under a U11 exemption.

They are:听

ash (10听01听01)听
biobed听and biofilter material (19听08听12)听
compost (19听05听99)听
digestate (19听06听04)听

6.1 Ash听

Ash from wood chip boilers burning plant tissue and untreated wood must have been produced under听U4 exemption: burning waste as fuel in a small appliance.

6.2 Biobed and biofilter material听

Biobed听and biofilter material must have been treated under听T32 exemption: treating waste in a biobed or biofilter.听

It must be stored for at least 12 months before it is spread.听

6.3 Compost听

Compost must have been produced under听one of the following:听

T23 exemption听听
T26 exemption听
a permit that only allows waste types listed in T23 and T26 exemptions听

If the compost comes from a permitted site, the听facility听must ensure听the听compost is听stable听and听sanitised听and will听improve the soil structure or nutrients in land.听听

The site must be allowed to accept only the exact waste types listed in T23 or T26.听

Compost from waste types listed in T23 must have been made according to strict mixing ratios.听This means that for every 60 tonnes of compost there must be:听听听听

no more than 10 tonnes of cardboard听
no more than 20 tonnes of manure听
no more than 10 tonnes of any of the following waste types:听
- animal tissue waste (02听02听02)听
- materials unsuitable for consumption or processing (02听05听01; 02听06听01)听
- biodegradable kitchen and canteen waste (20听01听08)听
- biodegradable waste from markets only (20听03听02)听

6.4 Digestate听

Digestate must have been treated under one of the following:听

T24 exemption: anaerobic digestion on farms听
T25 exemption: anaerobic digestion not done on a farm听
a permit that only allows treatment of waste types listed in T24 and T25 exemptions听

If digestate has been treated under a permit, the conditions of the permit must听state听that the waste is stored in the digester for at least 28 days, before going to the U11-registered site.听

You cannot use digestate from听a听facility听with a permit that allows other waste types.

7. Keeping records

You must听keep听a听chronological听record听of听waste activity听carried out under this exemption.听

Record听the following听information听in the order听it took place:听

date of activity听
the amount of waste spread听per hectare 听
type of waste spread听
where听the waste听came from听听

Example

Date	Type of waste	Amount听spread听per hectare	Where waste came from
02 Feb 2025	Chalk (01 01 02)	10 tonnes	Supplier听name and address
24听Mar听2025	Biobed听material (19 08 12)	30 tonnes	Supplier听name and address
1 May 2025	Digestate (19 06 04)	20 tonnes	Supplier听name and address

You must keep听your听records for 2 years听and听make them available to the Environment Agency听when听you鈥檙e听asked for them.听

You do not need to keep听a听record听if听you already听do听so听under the Nitrate Pollution Prevention Regulations 2015 or the听Water Resources (Control of Agricultural Pollution) (Wales) Regulations听2021.

8. Registering your waste exemption听

You can register and pay through the听waste exemption service.听听听听

If听you鈥檙e听a charity,听call the Environment Agency to register听exemptions听free of听charge.听

9. Registration rules听

You cannot:听

have more than one of the same听exemption听at a site, at the听same time听
register an exemption if听it鈥檚听already been registered at the site by another business听听
renew your registration more than one month before the 3-year registration period ends听
increase the storage limit by registering a separate storage exemption听听
store waste that is not included in your exemption听听

9.1 Waste limits at a site听

Once听you鈥檝e听registered a听U11听exemption, the听maximum waste limit applies to the site for听3 years.听

Waste limits apply to the site on a tonnes-per-hectare-per-year basis.听听听

If the听exemption is deregistered before it expires, any new U11 registration inherits the remaining waste limit that was left by听the听previous听registration.听

Example scenario

February 2025: Business A registers a U11 exemption to spread digestate to land.听

May 2025: Business A has spread the digestate at an application rate in the last year of 30 tonnes per hectare. Business A deregisters the exemption.听听

August听2025: Business B registers a U11 exemption at the same site. Business B can use only up to 20 tonnes per hectare for the听remainder听of the year. This is because Business A has already used part of the maximum per hectare allowance for that site for that year.听

10. Charges for registering a U11 exemption.听听

U11听exemption has a band听2听compliance charge.听听

There鈥檚听a registration听charge to register one or more exemptions at a time.听听

Read听about听waste exemption听charges.听

10.1 Charities register free听

Charities do not pay for waste exemptions. If听you鈥檙e听a charity, call the Environment Agency to register free of charge.听听

To qualify as a charity, your organisation must听work听exclusively听for a听charitable听purpose.听听听

Read the听Charity Commission鈥檚 list and descriptions of charitable purposes听to find out if your organisation falls within one of the 13 types of charitable activity.

U4: burning waste as fuel in a small appliance.

U10: spreading of waste on agricultural land to confer benefit

U12: using mulch

U13: spreading plant matter where it was grown, to benefit soil

T23: aerobic composting and associated prior treatment

T24: anaerobic digestion at premises used for agriculture and burning resulting biogas

T25: anaerobic digestion at premises not used for agriculture and burning resulting biogas

T26: treating kitchen waste in a wormery

12. 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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