Waste compactors
What you must do
If you use a waste compactor you may need:
- a waste management licence from the NIEA, in Northern Ireland
- an EASR authorisation from SEPA, in Scotland
However, in Northern Ireland, you may be able to register an exemption from having to hold a licence. This could allow you to bale, compact, crush, shred or pulverise waste at the place where it is produced. Even if you operate under an exemption, you must still ensure that your activities do not:
- endanger human health
- cause risk to water, air, soil, plants or animals
- cause a nuisance through noise or odours
- adversely affect the countryside or places of special interest.
NIEA: Waste management licensing exemptions
In Scotland, you may not need to apply to SEPA for authorisation, if you carry out basic treatment activities to make waste you have produced easier to store and transport for recovery or disposal somewhere else. Basic treatment examples include:
- Compacting or crushing paper, cans or glass to facilitate less frequent collections and easier loading
- Separating recyclables into separate storage containers
- De-watering food waste prior to collection of the solid fraction
- Crushing oil filters or aerosol cans in specially designed equipment to facilitate onward transport
- Shredding confidential paper
However, you must follow the rules of the General Binding Rules (GBRs). If you cannot comply with the rules, you will need a different type of EASR authorisation.
SEPA: Storage as part of collection
Good practice
A waste compactor is not suitable for dealing with liquids and some food wastes, so you should fully drain cartons before you compact them.
Compactors can leak polluting liquids even when you use them to compact solid waste. You should isolate their drainage from the surface water drainage system. Use rollover bunds, and drain them to the foul sewer if possible.