Below are some basic definitions and descriptions for the different categories of waste, as used in the Environmental Protection Act 1990 s75.

Basic Definition of Waste

'Waste' includes:

1. any substance which constitutes a scrap material or an effluent or other unwanted surplus substance arising from the application of any process; and
2. any substance or article which requires to be disposed of as being broken, worn out, contaminated or otherwise spoiled;
   but does not include a substance which is an explosive within the meaning of the [1875 c.17.] Explosives Act 1875.

Anything which is discarded or otherwise dealt with as if it were waste shall be presumed to be waste unless the contrary is proved.

Categories of Waste

'Directive Waste' is any substance or object which the producer or the person in possession of it discards or intends or is required to discard. This forms the basic definition of waste in the UK. Other categories of waste are subsets within Directive Waste.

'Controlled waste' means household, industrial and commercial waste or any such waste, in which:

• 'Industrial Waste' originates from:
  1. factories;
  2. premises related to any public transport services;
  3. any premises used for supply to the public of gas, water or electricity or the provision of sewerage services; or
  4. any premises used for the provision to the public of postal or telecommunications services.
     
     
• 'Commercial waste' means waste from premises used wholly or mainly for the purposes of a trade or business or the purposes of sport, recreation or entertainment excluding:
  1. household waste;
  2. industrial waste;
  3. waste from any mine or quarry and waste from premises used for agriculture (new laws on agricultural waste bring this waste under the Agency's control and classify hazardous agricultural wastes. See agriculture).
  
  
• 'Household waste' includes waste from:
  1. domestic property or residential home;
  2. a caravan;
  3. premises forming part of a university or school or other educational establishment;
  4. premises forming part of a hospital or nursing home.

'Special waste'

• This subcategory of controlled waste includes waste that has hazardous properties, and is defined in the Special Waste Regulations 1996. Such properties may be flammable, irritant, toxic, harmful, carcinogenic or corrosive.
• For wastes with certain hazardous properties, such as toxic or irritant, there is a threshold quantity/concentration below which the waste is not considered as special waste.
• Household waste is excluded from Special Waste.
• Prescribed medicines are included in this category.
• Special Waste includes the EC definition of Hazardous Waste and covers the substances listed here.
• A list of chemical substances included in this category can be found in the "Approved Guide to Classification and Labelling" and the "Approved Supply List" provided by the Health and Safety Commission.

'Hazardous Waste' is the EC classification, as defined in the EC Hazardous Waste Directive and EC Hazardous Waste List. The UK Special Waste category covers the wastes defined as Hazardous by the EC.

Further Information

Environment Agency Types of Waste page

Environmental Protection Act 1990 - contains definitions of waste in section 75

Hazardous Waste List from The Special Waste Regulations 1996

The Controlled Waste Regulations 1992

The Landfill (England and Wales) Regulations 2002

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