Do you need a waste management licence?

These guidelines apply to Northern Ireland and Scotland only. If you operate your business in England or Wales, see the NetRegs guidance on environmental permitting.

You might need a waste management licence if you:

  • deposit waste
  • keep waste, ie store waste that you did not produce
  • treat waste, including recycling and using mobile plant
  • dispose of waste.

This may be:

  • in or on any land
  • by means of a mobile plant
  • if you ‘knowingly permit’ any of these activities.

Some activities you carry out may be exempt and whether you need a licence or a registered exemption will depend on:

  • how long you store the waste
  • the types and quantities of wastes that you are handling, and
  • the activity carried out on site.

Even if your activity is exempt from licensing you may still need to register it with your environmental regulator. Your activity will also still be subject to controls to prevent pollution and harm to human health.

If you collect, transport, store, handle, process or dispose of animal by-products or catering waste which are not intended for human consumption, you must meet additional requirements.

In this guideline: