Find out what you need to do If you import or export waste.
I must notify my shipment - what procedures apply?
Notification controls apply to all allowed imports and exports of:
- hazardous waste moving for recovery operations
- all wastes moving for disposal
- to some shipments of non-hazardous wastes to non-OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries
Exports
If you are exporting waste from England and Wales you must:
- apply in the right way with the relevant fee to the Environment Agency. You can get an original numbered notification form and movement form from the International Waste Shipments team. Once completed, these forms should be submitted to the International Waste Shipments team for assessment.
- put a financial guarantee in place to make sure enough money is available to deal with the waste if things go wrong, including the cost of returning the waste to the UK. You can find more information on this in our application for approval of financial guarantee or equivalent insurance. This form must be completed and returned to the International Waste Shipments team for assessment.
- draw up a contract for the recovery of the waste, including specific terms, with the business that will be receiving and recovering the waste.
- make sure you have insurance against liability for damage to third parties.
- Obtain all necessary permissions from the regulatory authorities in all countries concerned before moving the waste.
Imports
Overseas businesses sending waste to the UK will need to:
- apply to the relevant regulatory authorities in the country of dispatch
- make sure consent has been received from all the relevant competent authorities
- ensure an approved financial guarantee is in place.
The above measures must be in place before the waste is imported.
The application process to obtain the necessary permissions will take at least a month to complete. You will find detailed information on how to make an application in Moving notified waste between countries – a guide (PDF, 246KB).
Interim movements
If you intend to ship notified waste to a site for pre-treatment, re-packaging or storage prior to final treatment, you need to know about the additional rules applying to the completion of movement forms.
This guide lets you know how best to comply with these rules and where you can find additional information:
Contact us
To submit applications (export only) and obtain further advice on the international shipment of waste please contact:
International Waste Shipments team
Environment Agency
Richard Fairclough House
Knutsford Road
Warrington
WA4 1HT
Tel: 01925 542265
Fax: 01925 542105
