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Legislation: A Guide To Your Waste

1. Defining Waste.

Waste has historically been difficult to define with individuals or companies interpretation differing greatly in the way waste is seen. For example, biodegradable organic material such as food waste maybe seen as 'waste' to domestic households, but through treatment and anaerobic breakdown this product becomes compost which can be resold as nutrient rich soil. This difficulty in interpreting waste types has led to strict definition to ensure different waste types are handled and disposed of according to stringent regulation and laws.

The Waste Management Licensing Regulations 1994 defines waste as "any substance or object in which the producer or the person in possession of it discards or intends or is required to discard".

Waste is further categorised by the premises they arise from, or the process waste undergoes:

  • - Controlled waste is any waste arising from domestic, industrial, commercial sources excluding mining and quarrying and in general agricultural waste
  • - Clinical waste from hospitals, surgeries, dentist, nurseries and care homes is still classed as controlled waste but generally requires different disposal methods including incineration an autoclave processes
  • - Hazardous wastes also fall under the controlled waste regime. The Environment Protection Act 1990 places people concerned with controlled waste under a Duty Of Care to ensure that the waste is managed properly, recovered or disposed of safely and is only transferred to someone who is authorised to keep it

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