Waste Regulations - EU and UK
Any waste created by a business comes under the waste disposal regulations, even if that business is carried out from home.
General or Hazardous Waste
Waste is categorised as either general waste or as Hazardous waste. On this page I'm just dealing with general waste.
To see if any of your waste counts as Hazardous Waste, go to Is it hazardous?
For more information on dealing with hazardous waste, go to Hazardous Waste
Waste Classification Codes
Waste is classified by a series of 6 digit waste codes, which are grouped into 4 code types. The relevant wast codes are given below.
Code types are used to determine if the waste may be classified as hazardous or not, and are:
- AN - Absolute non-hazardous. Not classified as hazardous waste, with a few exceptions
- AH - Absolute hazardous. Always classified as hazardous waste, with a few exceptions
- MN or MH - a pair of codes for Mirror hnon-hazardous or Mirror hazardous. The material may count as hazardous waste, and you need to determine if it is or not, and then select the code for MN or MH as applicable.
To determine if it counts as hazardous waste, go to ((EU and UK - Is it Hazardous Waste?|Is it hazardous?))
Section 10 12 covers wastes from manufacture of ceramic goods, bricks, tiles and construction products. This has the following subsections:
| Code | Description | Code Type | Explanation | |||
| 10 12 01 | Waste preparation mixture before thermal processing | AN | Unfired clay, slip etc. | |||
| 10 12 03 | Particulates and dust | AN | e.g. from your hoover or air filters | |||
| 10 12 05 | Sludges and filter cakes from gas treatment | AN | I think this is for large factories where they may have a scrubber to clean their kiln exhaust gases, so not applicable to studio potters | |||
| 10 12 06 | Discarded moulds | AN | ||||
| 10 12 08 | Waste ceramics, bricks, tiles and construction products (after thermal processing) | AN | Fired rejects | |||
| 10 12 09* | Solid wastes from gas treatment containing hazardous substances | MH | Again, not for studio potters | |||
| 10 12 10 | Solid wastes from gas treatment other than those mentioned in 10 12 09 | MN | Again, not for studio potters | |||
| 10 12 11* | Wastes from glazing containing heavy metals | MH | See below for definition of heavy metals | |||
| 10 12 12 | Wastes from glazing other than those mentioned in 10 12 11 | MN | ||||
| 10 12 13 | Sludge from on-site effluent treatment | AN | e.g. from your clay trap in your drains | |||
| 10 12 99 | Wastes not otherwise specified | AN | Everything else! | |||
For these purposes, heavy metals are defined as any compound of antimony, cadmium, chromium(VI), copper ,lead, nickel, selenium and tin. Chromium (VI) excludes the normal green chrome oxide used by most potters, but may include more exotic materials like potassium dichromate.
Other categories that may apply to materials other than used strictly in the making are:
| Code | Description | Code Type | Explanation | |||
| 15 01 01 | Paper and cardboard packaging | AN | ||||
| 15 01 02 | Plastic packaging | AN | ||||
| 15 01 06 | Mixed packaging | AN | ||||
| 15 01 10* | Packaging containing residues of or contaminated by hazardous substances | AH | ||||
| 15 02 02 | Absorbents, filter materials, wiping cloths and protective clothing contaminated by hazardous substances | MH | ||||
| 15 02 03 | Absorbents, filter materials, wiping cloths and protective clothing other than those mentioned in 15 02 02 | MN | ||||
| 16 03 03* | Inorganic wastes containing hazardous substances | MH | For any unused raw materials | |||
| 16 03 04 | Inorganic wastes other than those mentioned in 16 03 03 | MH | For any unused raw materials | |||
| 10 12 12 | Wastes from glazing other than those mentioned in 10 12 11 | MN | ||||
| 10 12 13 | Sludge from on-site effluent treatment | AN | e.g. from your clay trap in your drains | |||
| 10 12 99 | Wastes not otherwise specified | AN | Everything else! | |||
For the packaging in 15 01, these only apply if the packaging only has minimal residues of the contents, so for example a half empty tin of paint would be categorised as paint, not as metallic packaging. If the packaging has any residues of its contents, and they are classified as a hazardous waste, then the packaging must be classified as 15 01 10.
General Waste
If you transport waste to be disposed of, you need to register as a "Waste carrier" - there is no charge for this in England and Wales if it is just to dispose of your own waste.
General waste needs to be sorted, and stored in labelled containers that won't let anything escape. When this waste is moved off your premises, you need to complete a waste transfer note, to be kept by yourself and the carrier for 2 years - it just describes the waste, and says where it is coming from, going to, and who is carrying it.
Commercial Waste Costs
An indication of commercial waste costs, from June 2021.
Council Waste Centres
Many councils will accept most types of non-hazardous waste at their household waste recycling centres.
Total costs vary by vehicle size, e.g. from £35 for a car to £200 for a large Transit van in Hampshire. This is probably the most cost effective way of disposing of small volumes of non-hazardous waste, in terms of both cost and paperwork.
Note that a Waste Carrier's Licence is required.
Waste Bins
Waste bins come in various sizes. Some waste disposal companies may also impose a weight limit on the wheelie bins. Some companies charge a rental fee for the bin, others include it in the overall cost. Some charge for "insurance" for the bins, often with no insurance policy, others don't.
General waste is dry, non-recyclable waste.
Mixed recycling is paper, cardboard, plastic and cans (though generally not polystyrene or bubble wrap).
| Bin volume (l) | No of bin bags | Max wt general waste (kg) | Max wt mixed dry recycling (kg) | Annual hire £ | Annual weekly collection cost £ | One-off collection fee £ |
| 120 | 2 - 3 | 5 | 5 | 50 | 140 | ? |
| 240 | 2 - 5 | 10 | 10 | 50 | 255 | 7 |
| 360 | 4 - 7 | 15 | 15 | 80 | 370 | 9 |
| 660 | 6 - 12 | 35 | 20 | 150 | 650 | ? |
| 1100 | 10 - 20 | 65 | 35 | 250 | 1000 | 19 |
Extra weight charge typically £0.18/kg.
Waste Carrier Licence
Generally free of charge in England if just carrying your own waste. Issued by the Environment Agency.
Waste Transfer Note (WTN)
Non-hazardous waste requires a Duty of Care Waste Transfer Note, which must be supplied for every collection, or one note may be issued to cover a number of collections over a period of time.
It gives the details of the waste handler, the business supplying the waste, its volume and classification. Normally there should be no charge.
This needs to be kept for 2 years.
Hazardous Waste Consignment Note
Hazardous waste requires a Waste Consignment Note, which must be supplied for every movement of hazardous waste. Content it similar to the WTN, but there is more detail concerning the waste.
This needs to be kept for 3 years.
Collections
Collections may either be regular (e.g. weekly, fortnightly or monthly), or on a one-off basis.
Gate Fee
Every visit to a waste processing facility normally incurs a gate fee. The average in the UK is £6 per tonne.
Landfill Tax
Standard rate £96.70/tonne
Reduced rate £3.10/tonne
The reduced rate is for inert or inactive waste, such as soil or rocks. This includes unprocessed clay, sand and crushed rock (Group 1); ceramics (Group 2); processed minerals including clay, sand and silica (Group 3); fused and insoluble minerals (Group 4); and calcium and magnesium carbonate, iron oxide, aluminium oxide and zirconium dioxide (Group 6).
Waste Transfer Costs
The charge for disposal/recycling of the waste by the processing facility
| Type of waste | Price per tonne £ | Minimum charge £ | ||||
| Mixed general waste | 150 - 250 | 50 | ||||
| Dry mixed recyclable | 50 | 30 | ||||
| Cardboard and paper | Free | Free | ||||
| Mixed glass | 12 | Free | ||||
| Green waste | 50 | 30 | ||||
| Wood | 100 - 200 | 40 | ||||
| Inert / inactive waste | 50 | 30 | ||||
| Food | 70 | 40 | ||||
Hazardous Waste Disposal
For the quantities most potters are looking at, this is probably best done on an as-needed basis.
Charges aren't as openly available, probably partly due to the wide variety of types of hazardous waste, and different processing requirements, but some examples are:
- A box scheme, where a 60 litre crate of hazardous waste is colected and disposed of for £70
- Chemicals £2/kg, minimum 5kg
- An average of £200 for a one-off disposal
- £40 - £600 per tonne
- An average of £110-300 for a ¼ truck load to £290-1000 for a full truckload
Where a waste consignment note is required, a typical charge for this is £50.