Burning construction wastes
What you must do
If you burn waste in the open on your site you may need:
- a waste management licence or exemption, in Northern Ireland
- an EASR authorisation, in Scotland
Exemptions in Northern Ireland
In Northern Ireland, you may qualify for a paragraph 30 exemption to burn certain waste plant tissue and untreated wood if:
- you burn the waste at the place where it was produced
- you burn up to 10 tonnes in a 24-hour period.
If you have an exemption, you must comply with its conditions.
You must register this exemption with your environmental regulator.
You must still ensure that your activity does not:
- endanger human health or cause pollution to water, air or soil
- constitute a risk to plants or animals
- cause a nuisance in terms of noise, dust, fumes, smoke and odour
- adversely affect the countryside or places of special interest.
NIEA: Paragraph 30 - Burning waste on land in the open
Waste management licences in Northern Ireland
Burning waste plant tissue and untreated wood in Scotland
In Scotland, you may be allowed to burn certain wastes in the open without the need to apply to SEPA for an authorisation, as long as standard conditions are met, see below.
Burning waste wood on campfires and bonfires
Conditions:
- Only burn visibly clean waste wood - this excludes waste wood that has been painted or treated with chemical wood preservatives
- Only burn card and paper in quantities necessary to start the fire
- The size and location of the bonfire or campfire must be appropriate for the even
Burning less than 10 tonnes per day of clean plant matter waste and untreated waste wood in the open at the place where it was produced
Conditions:
- Only burn wastes mentioned in Table 1 of the Position Statement - Low Risk Waste Activities
- No more than 10 tonnes of waste may be burnt in a 24-hour period
- Waste must not be brought from another place for burning
Burning waste trees, plants and associated packaging when a Plant Health Notice has been issued, to prevent the spread of plant diseases
Conditions:
- Only burn waste where required under a Plant Health Notice
- Burning must only take place at the site where the waste is produced or at the dock where the waste is unloaded
- When waste is burned at a dock, it must be burned on a hard standing
- No more than 15 tonnes of waste may be burned in a 24-hour period
For any of the activities above, if these conditions cannot be met, you will need an EASR authorisation.
Other burning activities in Northern Ireland and Scotland
If you are disposing of waste by burning it in an incinerator or other similar plant, you will likely need:
- a pollution prevention and control (PPC) permit, in Northern Ireland
- an EASR permit, in Scotland
Pollution prevention and control permits in Northern Ireland
EASR authorisations in Scotland
The Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA) has produced detailed guidance for the construction sector. This is free to download.
CECA: Waste classification and permitting in construction