Waste exemptions for agriculture in Northern Ireland
It is likely that you will need to register some waste exemptions so you can carry out your day-to-day business. There are around 60 waste exemptions available.
DAERA has produced a list of waste exemptions that apply to the agriculture sector in Northern Ireland.
DAERA: Agricultural waste exemptions
Waste operations or activities that farmers carry out, and their exemption references, include:
| Description of exempt waste activity or operation | Northern Ireland |
|---|---|
| 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 |
| Treatment and cleaning of agricultural packaging or agricultural containers so that they can be re-used | 6 |
| Burning agricultural waste as fuel in appliance or appliances | 7 |
| Preparatory treatment of agricultural wastes intended for recovery or re-use | 12 |
| Manufacture from agricultural waste and treatment of agricultural waste soils | 14 |
| Manufacture of finished goods from agricultural waste | 15 |
| Storing agricultural wastes intended for recycling or recovery, in secure containers | 18 |
| Spreading of dredgings and plant material cleared from Inland Waterways | 25 |
| Baling, compacting, shredding or pulverising agricultural waste at the place of production | 27 |
| Storing returned agricultural goods | 28 |
| Burning agricultural waste in an exempt incinerator | 29 |
| Burying waste from a portable toilet | 32 |
| Storing agricultural medicines and medical, nursing and veterinary waste | 39 |
| Burning untreated wood and plant matter in the open | 30 |
| Incorporating ash from open waste burning into the soil | 30 |
| Using waste for a specific purpose, for example using shredded paper, sawdust or wood shavings as animal bedding | 16 |
| Storing waste within certain limits and for certain periods of time in a secure place for recycling or recovery | 17 |
| Treating waste plant matter or wood by chipping, shredding, cutting or pulverising it | 21 |
| Land treatment for agricultural benefit or ecological improvement (on agricultural land) | 9 |
| Land treatment of non-agricultural land for ecological improvement | 9 |
| Storing sewage sludge to be spread on agricultural land | 10 |
| Spreading diluted milk on land for agricultural benefit | 47A |
| Deposit of plant tissue at the place of production | 47B |
| Disposal of waste pesticide solution or washings in a lined biobed where the waste was produced | See next |
| Disposal of agricultural waste consisting of non-hazardous pesticide solution or washings in a lined biobed | 47C |
| Mixing of ash from the incineration of pig or poultry carcases with manure for use in land treatment | 47D |
| The anaerobic digestion of biodegradable waste which is agricultural waste or waste from a distillery | 13 |
If you keep, treat or dispose of waste you must have a waste management licence or exemption.
If you carry out an exempt waste management activity you may need to register an exemption from waste management licensing with your environmental regulator.
Some exemptions do not need to be registered although you must comply with the exemption's conditions.
Activities exempt from waste management licensing
Further information on waste exemptions for agriculture
Activities exempt from waste management licensing
Your environmental regulator provides more details about exemptions for agricultural waste.
NIEA: Activities exempt from waste management licensing