Waste Management

Waste Classification and Waste Acceptance Criteria

It is a legal requirement to ensure that any waste materials are disposed of in accordance with current legislation.

Before waste materials are removed from a site they must be assigned with the appropriate List of Wastes (LoW) code, which must be recorded on the relevant waste transfer documents. We can determine the correct LOW code which, depending on the type of material being classified, may or may not require laboratory testing.

In order to dispose of materials at landfill, in addition to the correct LOW code the landfill operator will frequently require the results of Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC) tests prior to them accepting material into their facilities. We can also undertake WAC testing where required.

The classification of waste materials can have a significant cost implication on developments, particularly where large volumes of soils are to be disposed of. Our experience and advice have helped many of our clients to minimise their disposal costs. Addressing uncertainties surrounding waste classification as part of the ground investigation can help to mitigate pricing uncertainty during the later stages of projects.

Materials Management Plan

The use of Materials Management Plans under the Definition of Waste: Development Industry Code of Practice (DoWCoP) is an initiative  by CL:AIRE (Contaminated Land: Applications In Real Environments) to improve the sustainable and cost effective development of land by facilitating the re-use, rather than disposal, of unwanted materials that may otherwise be suitable for use on other sites.

The DoWCoP provides a clear, consistent and streamlined process which enables the legitimate reuse of excavated materials on-site or their movement between sites with a significantly reduced regulatory burden. In many instances the DoWCoP can provide an alternative to Environmental Permits or Waste Exemptions when seeking to reuse excavated materials.

We can advise on what works are required to enable a Materials Management Plan to be put in place and we can also undertake the verification works that will be required under an MMP.

The use of an MMP needs to be addressed at the earliest stages of the project. If materials are moved between sites without an appropriate permit, exemption or MMP being in place, then the recipient site can be deemed as an unlicensed landfill by the Environment Agency, who may instigate statutory enforcement actions.

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