New waste management Regulations, in order to protect the environment even further, for the first time, now include waste management for the farming sector.
Agricultural waste has, until now, been excluded from the waste management controls, but as from 15 May 2006, the agricultural sector in England and Wales will have to comply with the management and control of their waste. However, manure and slurry, when used as fertilizers, are not classed as waste in the new regulations.
Under the new regulations, some of the 400,000 Tonnes of waste farmers must manage are as follows:
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Old pesticide containers.
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Silage wraps.
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Tyres.
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Batteries.
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Oil.
Ben Bradshaw, Local Environmental Quality Minister, said:
"For many years agriculture has been excluded from our national waste management controls. The new Regulations will extend existing waste management controls to agricultural waste for the first time.
"This change is a real opportunity to develop a practical system for minimising and managing agricultural waste."Waste is often a hidden business cost. I hope that farmers up and down the country see the changes more as a business opportunity than a regulatory burden.
"Farmers must stop using their farms dumps to dispose of their waste before the Regulations come into force on 15 May.
"Any farmer who continues to use a farm dump from 15 May will be required to close it down in accordance with the requirements of the Regulations."
There are 5 basic options open to farmers for compliance with the new regulations. They can:
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Store their waste on-farm for up to 12 months.
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Take their waste for recycling or disposal off-farm at a licensed site.
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Get an authorised waste contractor to take their waste away.
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Register license exemptions with the Environment Agency to recycle or dispose of their waste on-farm. Farmers can register at any stage during the first 12 months of the Regulations.
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Apply to the Environment Agency for a waste management license or a landfill permit to recycle or dispose of their waste on-farm. For most farmers obtaining a landfill permit for their farm dump will not be a viable option because of the engineering requirements and costs involved.
There will be help and assistance, allowing farmers to implement changes, such as the following:
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There are transitional arrangements for most other recycling and disposal activities on-farm.
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Farmers will have 12 months to register licence exemptions with the Environment Agency or to apply to them for a licence.
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A wide range of licence exemptions will be available to farmers - all of them free of charge for agricultural waste.
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The Environment Agency is producing an "Exemptions Pack" to help farmers register their exemptions.
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Defra's Environment Sensitive Farming (ESF) programme provides workshops, seminars and self-help groups across all regions on all aspects of farm management including waste.
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The Environment Agency has already issued a series of guidance notes explaining the impact of the Regulations and advising farmers on what they should do.
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The Agricultural Waste Stakeholders' Forum and the Environment Agency have developed and launched a Recycling Directory to help farmers find local sites and companies that can take their waste.
Further information, help and advice for compliance with the new Regulations can be accessed from the Environment Agency's Website by clicking the following:
Environment Agency - Agricultural waste
Further information on companies who can provide a service for removal, disposal or treating of waste can be accessed from the Waste Recycling Directory by clicking the following:
Waste Recycling Directory for Business
Defra's Environment Sensitive Farming (ESF) programme can be accessed from their Website by clicking the following:
Defra , UK - Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
Article by Alexandra Johnston
