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6 April 2006 - New Waste Management for
Farmers in May 2006
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New waste management Regulations, in order to protect the
environment even further, for the first time, now include waste management for
the farming sector.
Agricultural waste has, until now, been excluded from the waste
management controls, but as from 15 May 2006, the agricultural sector in England
and Wales will have to comply with the management and control of their waste.
However, manure and slurry, when used as fertilizers, are not classed as waste
in the new regulations.
Under the new regulations, some of the 400,000 Tonnes of waste
farmers must manage are as follows:
Ben Bradshaw, Local Environmental Quality Minister, said:
"For many years agriculture has been excluded from our
national waste management controls. The new Regulations will extend existing
waste management controls to agricultural waste for the first time.
"This change is a real opportunity to develop a practical system for minimising
and managing agricultural waste.
"Waste is often a hidden business cost. I hope that farmers
up and down the country see the changes more as a business opportunity than a
regulatory burden.
"Farmers must stop using their farms dumps to dispose of
their waste before the Regulations come into force on 15 May.
"Any farmer who continues to use a farm dump from 15 May will be required to
close it down in accordance with the requirements of the Regulations."
There are 5 basic options open to farmers for compliance with
the new regulations. They can:
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Store their waste on-farm for up to 12 months.
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Take their waste for recycling or disposal off-farm at a
licensed site.
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Get an authorised waste contractor to take their waste away.
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Register license exemptions with the Environment Agency to
recycle or dispose of their waste on-farm. Farmers can register at any stage
during the first 12 months of the Regulations.
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Apply to the Environment Agency for a waste management license
or a landfill permit to recycle or dispose of their waste on-farm. For most
farmers obtaining a landfill permit for their farm dump will not be a viable
option because of the engineering requirements and costs involved.
There will be help and assistance, allowing farmers to implement
changes, such as the following:
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There are transitional arrangements for most other recycling and
disposal activities on-farm.
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Farmers will have 12 months to register licence exemptions with
the Environment Agency or to apply to them for a licence.
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A wide range of licence exemptions will be available to farmers
- all of them free of charge for agricultural waste.
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The Environment Agency is producing an "Exemptions Pack" to help
farmers register their exemptions.
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Defra's Environment Sensitive Farming (ESF) programme provides
workshops, seminars and self-help groups across all regions on all aspects of
farm management including waste.
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The Environment Agency has already issued a series of guidance
notes explaining the impact of the Regulations and advising farmers on what they
should do.
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The Agricultural Waste Stakeholders' Forum and the Environment
Agency have developed and launched a Recycling Directory to help farmers find
local sites and companies that can take their waste.
Further information, help and advice for compliance with the new
Regulations can be accessed from the Environment Agency's Website by clicking
the following:
Environment Agency - Agricultural waste
Further information on companies who can provide a service for
removal, disposal or treating of waste can be accessed from the Waste Recycling
Directory by clicking the following:
Waste Recycling Directory for Business
Defra's Environment Sensitive Farming (ESF) programme can be
accessed from their Website by clicking the following:
Defra , UK - Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
Article by Alexandra Johnston
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