Waste costs money to recover and dispose so minimising the amount of waste on your farm can save you money and time.
Simple choices, such as using products in containers that can be sent back to the supplier, will minimise how much waste you have to deal with.
Carrying out a simple waste audit is an easy and cheap way to begin reducing waste and your costs. The audit helps you to find out what waste you have, how much waste you produce, why you produce it and which processes and activities produce waste. Once you understand this you can look at ways to reduce the waste you produce.
You can find further information about minimising the waste you produce on your farm on the NetRegs website:
There is also some useful information about minimising farming waste on Defra’s website:
Five basic options for dealing with your waste:
1. Only store your waste for up to 12 months and make sure it is secure
Storing waste securely depends on the waste type. Store wastes in suitable containers or places that prevent it blowing away, leaking or unauthorised access by livestock and children etc.
Storing wastes properly can be an important factor in reducing costs. It allows you to keep different waste types separate and avoid cross contamination. Mixed wastes cost more to dispose of and contaminated wastes are more difficult to recycle.
2. Take the waste to a recovery or disposal site yourself
Before you take your waste to a site you need to find whether the site can take your type of waste. The Waste Recycling Directory is a free system that allows you to search by postcode and waste type to find your nearest facility. It covers all types of facilities, not just recycling sites. If you are taking your waste to a site yourself it's a good idea to ring them first and ask:
- if you can take the waste in your vehicle - some sites won't allow a tractor and trailer on-site for health and safety reasons.
- how much it is going to cost and what payment methods they accept because some sites don’t accept money at the gate.
- what paperwork you will need to take - Duty of Care transfer notes etc.
- what wastes can they legally accept under their environmental permit or exemption.
- what is the best way of delivering the wastes – e.g. in bales or loose etc.
3. Give the waste to someone else
Most local waste carriers advertise in the Yellow Pages or you can use the Waste Recycling Directory to find a local waste carrier.
You need to comply with your Duty of Care by making sure the person you propose to use is authorised to carry waste. This can be done by checking our public register or by calling us on 0845 603 3113 to check.
You must also complete a Duty of Care transfer note and keep a copy for your records.
4. Register exemptions
Most farms need to register one or more exemptions to cover waste management activities, such as burning hedge trimmings on the farm.
You can register agricultural waste exemptions by calling our agricultural waste helpline on 0845 603 3113 and asking for an exemption application pack. The exemption application pack has a simple application form and a guidance booklet explaining which exemptions are generally used for managing different types of farm waste.
You can also register agricultural waste exemptions electronically through Defra’s Whole Farm Approach system.
5. Obtain an environmental permit
You may be looking at collecting and managing other farmer’s agricultural waste as a new business opportunity. In some cases you will need to apply for an environmental permit because the waste activity you propose to carry out is not covered by an exemption. Examples of waste operations regulated under environmental permits include:
- transfer stations – where waste is brought on to a site, bulked up and separated into waste streams for recycling and disposal;
- scrap metal recycling; or
- large composting operations.
Environmental permits involve paying an application fee and an annual subsistence fee, you also may need planning permission for your proposed activity and you will need to demonstrate technical competence. To find out further information about environmental permits and the waste activities they relate to, please go to our section about permitting:
Useful information
Further guidance on how to manage the waste you produce on the farm can be found in the sections below:
Find out about waste exemptions that may apply to you.
Find out about how to comply with the hazardous waste rules and when manures and slurries are not regulated wastes.
Find out about the duty of care and how to comply with it.
Practical guidance on how to manage the waste you produce on the farm and how to comply with the agricultural waste regulations.
