11Sep

Waste Guidance Issued by Defra

Posted on 11th September, 2012

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has issued guidance for businesses on what counts as waste and how to come to this conclusion.

The guidance follows a draft document which was published in January 2010. It is an important document because it enables businesses to determine whether activities are subject to waste management controls.

The guidance sets out criteria addressing the nature of a substance or by-product and what its possible uses might be, against which a material can be assessed on a ‘case-by case’ basis to determine if it is waste or not.

The criteria covers substances that have been produced with the intention of being used or marketed. Re-used substances being used for their original purpose or remnants from production processes are also included.
The guidance has been designed to make the principles underpinning waste management legislation ‘more accessible’.