Waste exemptions for forestry
You may need to register an exemption with your environmental regulator from waste management licensing if you carry out an exempt waste management activity.
Some exemptions do not need to be registered although you must comply with the exemption's conditions.
Activities exempt from waste management licensing
Exempt waste operations and exempt waste management activities which may be relevant to forestry businesses include:
| Exempt waste activity or operation | Exemption reference | |
|---|---|---|
| Northern Ireland | Scotland | |
| Chipping, shredding, cutting or pulverising waste wood or bark. | Paragraph 21 Must be registered. |
Paragraph 21 Must be registered. |
| Burning untreated wood waste in the open. | Paragraph 30 Must be registered. |
Paragraph 30 Must be registered. |
| Burning some waste wood or bark as a fuel in a small appliance in certain cases. | Paragraph 5 Must be registered. |
Paragraph 5 Must be registered. |
| Composting untreated waste wood. | Paragraph 13 Must be registered. |
Paragraph 12 Must be registered. |
| Using untreated waste wood as mulch. | Paragraph 9 Must be registered. |
No exemption needed. |
| Using waste wood or bark to make products. | Paragraph 15 Must be registered. |
Paragraph 15 Must be registered. |
| Spreading waste wood for benefit on the site where it is produced. For example to suppress weeds or provide nutrients to the soil. | Paragraph 9 Must be registered. |
No exemption needed. |
| Storing any waste (non-hazardous or hazardous/special) temporarily on the site where it is produced in a secure place for no longer than 12 months. | Paragraph 41 There are quantity limits for storing hazardous waste. No need to register. |
Paragraph 41 There are quantity limits for storing special waste. No need to register. |
| Burning as a fuel, under a permit granted under the PPC regulations, of straw, poultry litter or wood (at less than 1 tonne per hour in Northern Ireland) (Applies to biomass boilers) | Paragraph 5 | Paragraph 3 |
You must check whether your registered exemption needs to be renewed. Some registered exemptions last for as long as the activity is carried out while others may only last for 12 months.
If you are not sure whether your waste operation or waste management activity is covered by an exemption, or how long an exemption will last, you should contact your environmental regulator for further advice.
Contact your environmental regulator
Further information on waste exemptions
Activities exempt from waste management licensing
Your environmental regulator provides more details about exemptions for forestry waste.
NIEA: Activities exempt from waste management licensing
SEPA: Activities exempt from waste management licensing
Forest Research: Managing brash on conifer clearfell sites (Adobe PDF - 2.34MB)
Scottish Forestry: Building wildfire resilience into forest management planning
Forest Research: Burning forest residues (Adobe PDF - 1.15MB)