What you must do

If you are crushing or grinding glazed ceramics with machinery designed for the purpose, then you may need:

  • in Northern Ireland, a waste management licence, registered exemption or part C pollution prevention and control (PPC) permit
  • in Scotland, a waste management licence, registered exemption or part B PPC permit.

You may also need a permit, licence or exemption if you store waste tiles prior to crushing or grinding on site.

The exemption for crushing and grinding would be a paragraph 24 exemption.

If you have an exemption, you must comply with the exemption conditions.

You will need to register this exemption with the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) in Northern Ireland or SEPA in Scotland.

You must still ensure that your activity does not:

  • endanger human health or cause pollution to water, air or soil
  • cause a risk to plants or animals
  • cause a nuisance in terms of noise, dust, fumes, smoke or odour
  • adversely affect the countryside or places of special interest.

Contact your local council

NIEA: Paragraph 24 - crushing and grinding of waste bricks, tiles or concrete

SEPA: Waste management licensing exemptions (Paragraph 24 exemption)

Waste management licences

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