Southwest
Environmental LimitedSouthwest
Environmental Limited| London |
| 02076 920 670 |
| Exeter |
| 01392 927 961 |
| Manchester |
| 01612 970 026 |
| Bristol |
| 01173 270 092 |
Below is a list of environmental permit exemptions.
If your activity is in the list below then that's good. Exemptions are generally a lot easier to apply for than environmental permits, however, you must check to see of your operation meets the general requirements of the exemption relating to your operation.
If you would like advice on a permit application please ring the office (number above) for a free appraisal.
To maintain regulatory environmental compliance, you have to use the most current exemption codes. Below is the verified list of U, T, D, and S exemptions as of February 2026. Please note that some codes have been withdrawn or superseded by updated Standard Rules permits.
U1 – Use of waste in construction
U2 – Use of baled end-of-life tyres in construction
U3 – Use of waste in the construction of entertainment or educational installations etc
U4 – Burning of waste as a fuel in a small appliance
U5 – Use of waste derived biodiesel as fuel
U6 – Use of sludge for the purposes of re-seeding a waste water treatment plant
U7 – Use of final effluent to clean a highway gravel bed
U8 – Direct and beneficial use of waste for a specified purpose
U9 – Use of waste to manufacture finished goods
U10 – Spreading waste on agricultural land to confer benefit
U11 – Spreading waste on non-agricultural land to confer benefit
U12 – Spreading mulch
U13 – Spreading of plant matter to confer benefit
U14 – Incorporation of ash into soil
U15 – Pig and poultry ash
U16 – Use of De-polluted end-of-life vehicles for vehicle parts
U17 – Use of waste for road and highway maintenance (New)
T1 – Cleaning, washing, spraying or coating of relevant waste
T2 – Recovery of textiles
T3 – Treatment of waste metals and metal alloys by heating for the purposes of removing grease etc
T4 – Preparatory treatments (baling, sorting, shredding etc)
T5 – Screening and blending of waste
T6 – Treatment of waste wood and waste plant matter by chipping, shredding, cutting or pulverising
T7 – Treatment of waste bricks, tiles and concrete by crushing, grinding or reducing in size
T8 – Mechanical treatment of end-of-life tyres
T9 – Recovery of scrap metal
T10 – Sorting mixed waste
T11 – Repair or refurbishment of WEEE (Waste electrical and electronic equipment)
T12 – Manual treatment of waste
T13 – Treatment of waste food
T14 – Crushing and emptying waste vehicle oil filters
T15 – Treatment of waste aerosol cans
T16 – Treatment of waste toner cartridges by sorting, dismantling, cleaning or refilling
T17 – Crushing waste fluorescent tubes
T18 – Dewatering using flocculants
T19 – Physical treatment of waste edible oil and fat to produce biodiesel
T20 – Treatment of waste at a water treatment works
T21 – Recovery of waste at a waste water works
T22 – Treatment of animal by-product waste at a collection centre
T23 – Aerobic composting and associated prior treatment
T24 – Anaerobic digestion at premises used for agriculture and burning of resultant biogas
T25 – Anaerobic digestion at premises not used for agriculture and burning of resultant biogas
T26 – Treatment of kitchen waste in a wormery
T27 – Treatment of sheep dip for disposal
T28 – Sorting and denaturing of controlled medicines and drugs for disposal
T29 – Treatment of non-hazardous pesticides by carbon filtration for disposal
T30 – Recovery of silver
T31 – Recovery of monopropylene glycol from aircraft antifreeze fluids
T32 – Treatment of waste in a biobed or bio-filter
T33 – Recovery of central heating oil by filtration
T34 – Recovery of gold and precious metals from electronics (New)
D1 – Deposit of waste from dredging of inland waters
D2 – Deposit of waste from a railway sanitary convenience
D3 – Deposit of waste from a portable sanitary convenience
D4 – Deposit of agricultural waste consisting of plant tissue under a Plant Health Notice
D5 – Depositing samples of waste for the purposes of testing or analysing them
D6 – Disposal by incineration (Superseded by small waste incineration plant (SWIP) regulations)
D7 – Burning waste in the open (Strictly limited; see local authority clean air acts)
D8 – Burning waste at dock under a Plant Health Order Notice
S1 – Storage of waste in secure containers
S2 – Storage of waste in a secure place
S3 – Storage of sludge
S4 – Storage of waste for the purpose of reuse (New)
The below section was written by a machine.
Environmental permit exemptions offer a streamlined regulatory route for low-risk waste activities, significantly reducing the administrative and financial burden compared to bespoke permit applications. However, qualifying for an exemption requires strict adherence to specific quantity limits, waste types, and operational conditions. Failure to meet these criteria can lead to enforcement action, making technical verification a critical step in project planning.
The UK regulatory system categorizes exemptions into four primary types based on the nature of the waste activity. Understanding these codes is essential for Waste Recovery Planning and general compliance.
While exemptions are easier to register than full permits, they still fall under the jurisdiction of the Environment Agency and requires a robust understanding of environmental compliance. At SWEL, we bridge the gap between simple registration and technical authority.
With 15 years of industry experience and 900+ projects delivered, Southwest Environmental Limited provides the expert oversight needed to manage waste legally and sustainably. Whether you are spreading plant matter to confer benefit (U13) or managing a small-scale aerobic composting facility (T23), our team offers the professional accreditation (IES/CIWEM) to secure your project's regulatory future.