How to submit an appropriate environmental permit application for a deposit for recovery operation and what to include in a waste recovery plan.

Applies to England

Documents

Waste recovery plans and deposit for recovery permits

Check if your waste is suitable for deposit for recovery

Waste acceptance procedures for deposit for recovery

Engineering construction proposals for deposit for recovery

Details

This guidance is for operators who are planning to:

carry out a new deposit for recovery operation

make changes to an existing deposit for recovery operation

Updates to this page

12 November 2026 Updated 'Waste recovery plans and deposit for recovery permits' to clarify what material would be suitable when using waste in engineering structures. Updated 'Engineering construction proposals for deposit for recovery' to clarify that waste used to construct an attenuation layer must also meet the requirements of schedule 22 of the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016.

Updated 'Waste recovery plans and deposit for recovery permits' to clarify what material would be suitable when using waste in engineering structures. Updated 'Engineering construction proposals for deposit for recovery' to clarify that waste used to construct an attenuation layer must also meet the requirements of schedule 22 of the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016.

20 May 2026 Updated ‘Waste recovery plans and deposit for recovery permits’ guidance. Added to section 'Standard rules permit' SR2024 No 2: using unbound incinerator bottom ash aggregate in construction. Removed reference to 'if you plan to recover 60,000 cubic metres or less of waste' in sections 'Standard rules permit' and 'Bespoke waste recovery permit' as you need to refer to the relevant standard rules.

Updated ‘Waste recovery plans and deposit for recovery permits’ guidance. Added to section 'Standard rules permit' SR2024 No 2: using unbound incinerator bottom ash aggregate in construction. Removed reference to 'if you plan to recover 60,000 cubic metres or less of waste' in sections 'Standard rules permit' and 'Bespoke waste recovery permit' as you need to refer to the relevant standard rules.

29 June 2023 Updated the reference to Article 6 of the Waste Framework Directive and added guidance on submitting a pre-application stage waste recovery plan in the ‘Waste recovery plans and Deposit for Recovery permits’ guide.

Updated the reference to Article 6 of the Waste Framework Directive and added guidance on submitting a pre-application stage waste recovery plan in the ‘Waste recovery plans and Deposit for Recovery permits’ guide.

31 October 2022 The attachments have been updated to clarify the guidance and to add sections in 'Waste recovery plans and deposit for recovery permits' on landfill remediation and the recovery of hazardous waste on land.

The attachments have been updated to clarify the guidance and to add sections in 'Waste recovery plans and deposit for recovery permits' on landfill remediation and the recovery of hazardous waste on land.

21 April 2021 First published.

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