"For a whole host of reasons we now need to take the management of farm
waste far more seriously than we have done in the past. We can regard it as
a major problem and a cost burden or we can look at the viability of recycling
waste as an opportunity for businesses"
Sir Don Curry, Chairman of the Sustainable Farming and Food Delivery Group
The 15 May deadline for the registration of exemptions for farm wastes is rapidly approaching and this makes waste a major issue in farming. It is also the subject of a recent event to pass on information and general ‘educate’ interested farmers on waste management issues.
The Agricultural Waste Regulations have been in force for 10 months, though there will be still people in the industry uncertain of the new requirements despite best efforts by Government and Regulators to spread the message. Few farmers now can have failed to have heard of the new requirements.
The sustainable Farm Waste Event took place last month at The Showground, Newark and was aimed at providing farmers and growers with a 'one stop shop' for all their waste management needs to enable them to achieve compliance.
The event was staged by the Government Office for the East Midlands, Environment Agency, East Midlands Regional Assembly and the NFU.
It was very well attended and a further waste event has been organised on 3rd May at the Three Counties Showground, Malvern, which is very appropriately timed considering the May deadline.
Sir Don Curry, Chairman of the Sustainable Farming and Food Delivery
Group, which assists Government in taking forward its Sustainable Farming
and Food Strategy, said:
“For a whole host of reasons we now need to take the management of farm
waste far more seriously than we have done in the past. We can regard it as
a major problem and a cost burden or we can look at the viability of recycling
waste as an opportunity for businesses."
Agricultural Waste
About 400,000 tonnes of agricultural waste is produced each year.
Wastes include old pesticide containers, silage wraps, tyres, batteries and oil.
Agricultural wastes had for many years been uncontrolled prior to the new regulations, in the sense that they were not subject to the Environmental Protection Act or its predecessor the 1974 Control of Pollution Act.
Farmers could dispose of most wastes, within reasonable pollution limitations particularly in relation to water pollution, on their own land. It was also obviously not in their interests to pollute a farm’s soils as this would be detrimental to farm productivity.
The Regulations have in effect created a new agricultural industry and a variety of waste management services are now on offer. The costs of waste management services are currently understood to be variable and it may take a while for services to bed down. One reported estimate has indicated that waste management services can range from 20p – 80p an acre.
The Agricultural Waste Regulations
The current Regulations introduced last year applied the similar controls to agricultural wastes that have been applicable to household, industrial and commercial wastes since1974.
The Waste Management (England and Wales) Regulations 2006 introduced
in May 2006 mean that farmers can no longer use their farm dumps to
dispose of their waste.
Instead they have five basic options for dealing with their waste, which can be used on their own or in combination:
- Store their waste on-farm for up to 12 months.
- Take their waste for recycling or disposal off-farm at a licensed site.
- Get an authorised waste contractor to take their waste away.
- Register licence 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 (hence the 15 May deadline).
- 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.
Further Information
Defra has produced a FAQ sheet which answers the most common questions
about the regulations which can be viewed at the Defra website.
Exhibitors at the Farm Wastes Event
A range of suppliers of goods and services exhibited at the event including:
Agrovista UK
Farm XS
EMRA
Agricycle
Birch Farm Plastic Collection Ltd
Equipment Supply Services
Halletec Associates
Thomas & Fontaine
Field Chemicals
Solway Recycling
Controlled Recycling
RAPS - Recovered Agricultural Plastic Scheme
Global Recycling Solutions
LSM Waste Equipment
Oakwood Environmental Services amongst others