What the legislation says
What this means
Paragraph 18 (1) allows up to 20 secure containers, providing together up to 400 cubic metres storage capacity, to be used to store wastes for the purpose of recovery. Each container must only be used with the owner's consent and should contain only one type of waste. All wastes in the table can be stored in the containers for up to a year except for hypodermic syringes and sharps which can only be stored for one month. If you are storing oil wastes under this exemption, the storage is limited to no more than:
- three cubic metres
- two cubic metres for hypodermic syringes.
Paragraph 18 (2) sets out in a table, the types of waste that this exemption covers and details the additional storage requirements that apply to waste oils and hypodermic syringes and sharps.
Questions and answers
We have provide the following questions and answers to help you further understand if this exemption covers the activity that you wish to undertake.
Paragraph 18 (1)
Q. What can you do?
A. You can store those types of wastes listed in the exemption that are intended to be recovered or reused, in a container or no more than 20 containers. The 20 container and 400 cubic metre limit applies to all the wastes in the table taken together and not to each waste type individually. Of this no more than:
- three cubic metres should be oil storage, and
- two cubic metres should be hypodermic syringe storage.
Q. How long can you store the wastes?
A. You can store all of the listed wastes for up to a year, except for hypodermic syringes and sharps which you must not store for longer than one month.
Q. Who can do it?
A. Any company, organisation or individual that registers an activity with us which is exempt under paragraph 18 and who has the consent of the owner of the container. By individuals we mean those acting in a business capacity, such as a sole trader. The law does not require an individual acting in a personal capacity to register an exemption. The container can be accessible to the public but must be capable of preventing the waste escaping either accidentally or deliberately. Oil storage facilities:
- must be capable of capturing spills, and
- cannot be sited within:
- 10 metres of any inland or coastal waters, and
- 50 metres of any well or water supply borehole, etc.
Q. Storage of wastes is also permitted by the Paragraph 17 exemption. Which exemption should I apply for?
A. The Paragraph 17 exemption permits storage of certain types of waste at a premises, Paragraph 18 permits storage of certain types of wastes within containers. You need to decide which exemption suits your intended method of storage.
Q. Where can the containers be sited?
A. At the place or places you identify when you register the exemption.
Q. What types of waste can you take?
A. You can take any of the wastes in the table. The wastes are described with an EWC (European Waste Catalogue) code and a description. Both the code and the description must describe your waste type for it to be covered by this exemption.
Q. Where can I find a list of EWC Codes?
A. Find out more here about the list of EWC codes.
Q. What is the significance of the EWC codes that are marked with an asterix?
A. An asterix against an EWC code indicates that these wastes may be hazardous. Hazardous waste is waste which may be dangerous to:
- people
- the environment, or
- animals.
If you handle hazardous waste under this exemption you also need to know if you have any additional obligations under the hazardous Waste Regulations. More information on this can be found on our dealing with hazardous waste page.
Example of an activity that is not suitable for registration under a Paragraph 18 (1) (2) exemption
- A company provides a collection service for spent vegetable oils which are bulked at its own premises and despatched for recycling.
This activity would not qualify for a Paragraph 18 exemption as the waste types listed in the table only include mineral and lubricating oils and do not include vegetable oils.
Examples of activities that are suitable for registration under a Paragraph 18 (1) (2) exemption
- A supermarket wishes to provide paper, glass, aluminium and steel banks on its premises for the public to return and segregate those wastes for recycling.
The activity should be registered under Paragraph 18.
- A service company removes spent oils from the servicing of lifts and stores them in containers at its own premises prior to forwarding them to an oil recovery company.
The storage in containers of up to three cubic metres of the oil are covered under Paragraph 18 provided that the containers were sited more than:
i) 10 metres from coastal or inland waters, and
ii) 50 metres from any well or water supply borehole, etc.
