Hazardous Waste

The Hazardous Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2005 will be amended on 6 April 2009 and organisations that produce hazardous waste will be exempt from registration if no more than 500kg of hazardous waste is produced in a year. The changes only apply to England; the Welsh Assembly is still considering what action to take.

The materials classified as hazardous are identified by the European Waste Catalogue. These include fluorescent tubes, lead-acid batteries and some printer cartridges. It is worth noting that Kyocera toner cassettes, because they contain no dangerous substances, are classified as non-hazardous (the classification is 08 03 18).

If your organisation produces more than 500kg of hazardous waste per annum, it needs to register as a hazardous waste producer. Any contractors who dispose of these items on your behalf will also need to be registered. Information on registration can be found here; the cost is currently £18.