Excavated materials
What you must do
Material that you remove from an excavation will not normally be regarded as waste if:
- you intend to reuse it on your site and
- it is suitable for use as backfill and
- it does not need to be processed before it can be reused.
In such cases the material would not be subject, at that point in time, to:
- the duty of care for waste
- waste management licensing in Northern Ireland
- pollution prevention and control (PPC) regime in Northern Ireland
- the Environmental Authorisations (Scotland) Regulations (EASR) in Scotland
If the material you excavate is only fit for use if it is encapsulated, it is likely that this will be regarded as a landfilling activity and may require a permit authorisation.
Diluting or mixing contaminated material with non-contaminated material on site is not permitted. If in doubt, you should consult with your local environmental regulator.
- Zero Waste Scotland: Site waste reduction protocol
- Zero Waste Scotland: Reducing construction waste
- Invest NI: Resource matching service
Further information
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
- Hazardous / special waste
- NIEA: Construction and Demolition Waste and Recycled Concrete
- Waste carriers, brokers and dealers
- Duty of Care: Your waste responsibilities
- Pollution prevention and control permits in Northern Ireland
- Waste management licences in Northern Ireland
- EASR authorisations in Scotland
Return to the menu of the Waste from construction and demolition sites environmental topic