Wood waste regulations are changing
From September this year, there is a significant change to how wood waste from demolition and elements of construction is handled and disposed of.
The reason for this change is that the Regulatory Positioning Statement (RPS) 250 will be removed by the Environment Agency on the 31st of August 2023. This statement previously allowed potentially hazardous wood waste items from construction and demolition waste streams to be transported and processed as non-hazardous.
Therefore, from the 1st of September 2023, certain items from buildings constructed pre-2007 will automatically be classified as hazardous and cannot be sent to wood recyclers.
What does this mean for the construction and demolition industry and waste collectors in general?
Items such as telegraph poles and railway sleepers were already considered hazardous waste however prior to this change, other waste wood could be placed in a site skip if it was collected, handled and disposed of by an authorised waste management company. From 1st September the following ten items will require specialist hazardous waste disposal unless tested:
1. Barge boards
2. External fascia
3. Soffit boards
4. External joinery
5. External doors
6. Roof timber
7. Tiling cladding
8. Tiling battens
9. Timber frames
10. Timber joists
The onus will be on the producers of waste wood to classify the waste correctly and in accordance with guidance set out by the Wood Recyclers Association (WRA) & National Federation of Demolition Contractors (NFDC), please follow the link below:-
Link - https://woodrecyclers.org/wp-content/uploads/WRA-Demolition-Wood-Quick-Guide.pdf
If the business does not have the facility to test the waste wood, they will have to classify it as hazardous and dispose of it accordingly.
How can we help?
If you would like to find out more about this change to the wood waste classification and how it will affect your business, get in touch today – our friendly team will advise and help plan the right solution for you.