Northern Ireland Statutory Rule
2003
Northern Ireland
Waste Management Licensing Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003
At a glance
Enforced by
What's here
22 compliance obligations, 1 practical guide
Penalty landscape
1 of 22 obligations carry an unlimited fine. 2 carry different penalties and 19 have no criminal penalty — flagged in the list below.
Who this Act binds
Business-side actors with duties under this Act, ranked by how often they appear.
- Any Person 8
- Operator 2
- Employer 1
- Applicant 1
- Director or Officer 1
Plus 9 non-business duties on Crown ministers, regulators, local authorities or tribunals — shown collapsed under each section below.
Relevant guidance
Practical guides for businesses affected by this Act, ordered by how closely they engage with it.
Direct — cites this Act
1 guidesOther Acts binding the same actors
For each actor bound by this Act, the other UK Acts that bind them most often. Useful for understanding the full compliance landscape facing each role.
Any Person also bound by 2338 other Acts (top 5 shown)
- Human Medicines Regulations 2012 2012 169 duties
- Merchant Shipping Act 1995 1995 144 duties
- Insolvency (England and Wales) Rules 2016 2016 101 duties
- Road Traffic Act 1988 1988 95 duties
- Air Navigation Order 2016 2016 95 duties
Operators also bound by 730 other Acts (top 5 shown)
- Regulation (EU) No 965/2012 (Air Operations) 2012 138 duties
- Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/2066 of 19 December 2018 on the monitoring and reporting of greenhouse gas emissions pursuant to Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and amending Commission Regulation (EU) No 601/2012 (Text with EEA relevance) 2018 121 duties
- Commission Regulation (EU) No 601/2012 of 21 June 2012 on the monitoring and reporting of greenhouse gas emissions pursuant to Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (Text with EEA relevance) (repealed) 2012 112 duties
- Space Industry Regulations 2021 2021 75 duties
- Regulation (EU) 2016/429 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 2016 on transmissible animal diseases and amending and repealing certain acts in the area of animal health (‘Animal Health Law’) (Text with EEA relevance) 2016 66 duties
Employers also bound by 694 other Acts (top 5 shown)
- The Income Tax (Pay As You Earn) Regulations 2003 2003 236 duties
- Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 1998 120 duties
- TULRCA 1992 1992 72 duties
- Employment Rights (Northern Ireland) Order 1996 (current NI employment law) 1996 52 duties
- Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003 2003 50 duties
Applicants also bound by 294 other Acts (top 5 shown)
- Insolvency (England and Wales) Rules 2016 2016 46 duties
- Human Medicines Regulations 2012 2012 30 duties
- The Land Registration Rules 2003 2003 25 duties
- Value Added Tax Regulations 1995 1995 18 duties
- Space Industry Regulations 2021 2021 14 duties
Directors and Officers also bound by 425 other Acts (top 5 shown)
- Insolvency (England and Wales) Rules 2016 2016 161 duties
- Companies Act 2006 2006 108 duties
- Insolvency Act 1986 1986 72 duties
- The Large and Medium-sized Companies and Groups (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 2008 55 duties
- The Housing Administration (England and Wales) Rules 2018 2018 26 duties
What this Act requires
Sections that create concrete duties on businesses or carry penalties. Procedural and definitional sections are folded into the “Browse other sections” expander at the bottom of each group. Click any section title to read the source text on legislation.gov.uk.
Schedules
CONDITIONS FOR THE KEEPING OR TREATMENT OF END OF LIFE VEHICLES
- Meet technical standards for keeping and treating end-of-life vehicles Employer
REGISTRATION OF BROKERS AND DEALERS OF CONTROLLED WASTE
- Register as a waste broker or dealer with the NIEA Director or Officer
Registers
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Department must maintain a public register of waste brokers and dealers Crown / Minister / Government department
Applications for registration
- Apply for registration as a broker or dealer of controlled waste using the correct process Any Person
Registration as a broker or dealer and amendment of entries
- Notify NIEA of changes to your registration details Any Person
Prescribed Offences
5 years imprisonment- Operate a waste facility with a history of prescribed criminal offences Any Person
Browse 69 other Schedules — structural / supplementary
EXEMPTIONS FROM WASTE MANAGEMENT LICENSING
Schedule 1
The qualifications required of a person if he is to...
Anyone carrying out an activity listed in the Table must...
Where appropriate, the Department will recognise the Vocationally Related Qualification...
In Table 1— “civic amenity site” or “household recycling centre”...
Definition of “relevant waste”
(1) The spreading of sludge on land which is not...
(1) Subject to the following provisions of this paragraph and...
For the purposes of Table 3 the following definitions apply—...
(1) Subject to the conditions specified in sub-paragraph (3), carrying...
(1) Subject to the following provisions of this paragraph and...
(1) The manufacture from – (a) waste which arises from...
(1) Subject to the conditions specified in sub-paragraph (4), the...
(1) The beneficial use of waste if –
(1) Subject to the conditions specified in sub-paragraph (5), the...
(1) Laundering or otherwise cleaning waste textiles with a view...
(1) Chipping, shredding, cutting or pulverising waste plant matter (including...
(1) The recovery, at any premises, of silver from waste...
(1) The recovery of waste consisting of animal by-products at...
(1) Crushing, grinding or other size reduction of waste bricks,...
(1) Subject to sub-paragraphs (2) to (4), the deposit of...
(1) The recovery or disposal of waste, at the place...
(1) Subject to the conditions specified in sub-paragraph (3), baling,...
(1) The disposal of waste at the place where it...
(1) Subject to sub-paragraph (2), burning waste on land in...
The discharge of waste onto the track of a railway...
The burial on premises of waste arising from the use...
(1) The keeping or deposit of waste consisting of excavated...
(1) The keeping or deposit on land at the place...
(1) The deposit of waste consisting of excavated material from...
(1) The temporary storage of waste consisting of garbage, at...
(1) Subject to sub-paragraph (2), the burial of a dead...
The deposit or storage of samples of waste which are...
(1) The secure storage at a pharmacy, pending their disposal...
(1) The operation, under a permit under the 2003 Regulations,...
(1) The storage, pending its collection or transport, of non-liquid...
(1) The temporary storage, pending its collection, of waste (including...
(1) The treatment, keeping or disposal by any person at...
(1) The treatment, keeping or disposal by any person at...
(1) Heating iron, steel or any ferrous-alloy, non-ferrous metal or...
(1) Subject to the conditions specified in sub-paragraph (3), the...
(1) Subject to the following provisions of this paragraph and...
(1) Subject to sub-paragraphs (2) to (4), the burning at...
(1) The treatment of land used for agriculture with agricultural...
The deposit of agricultural waste consisting of plant tissue at...
(1) The disposal of agricultural waste consisting of non-hazardous pesticide...
(1) The mixing of ash from the incineration of pig...
(1) The treatment of land used for agriculture with agricultural...
The treatment of land used for agriculture with agricultural waste...
For the purposes of this Schedule – a container, lagoon...
(1) The carrying on, at any secure place in respect...
The carrying on of any of the following operations—
(1) The secure storage at any place of WEEE of...
(1) The crushing of waste gas discharge lamps (including fluorescent...
The secure storage at a place other than the place...
(1) The cleaning, washing, spraying or coating of waste consisting...
(1) Burning waste as a fuel in an appliance if...
(1) Subject to sub-paragraph (3) and any limitation set down...
WASTE FRAMEWORK DIRECTIVE
Interpretation of Schedule 4
Revocation of registration
Appeals
Duration of registration
Cessation of registration
Treatment operations for the depollution of an end of life...
In order to promote its subsequent recycling, where an article...
Any keeping operations shall be carried out in such a...
The offences to be regarded as prescribed offences for the...
sch. 3 para. 12
- Register with NIEA if you collect or arrange waste professionally Operator
sch. 3 para. 14
- Keep waste records for NIEA inspection (hazardous or non-hazardous) Any Person
sch. 3 para. 5
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- NIEA must publish waste recovery/disposal plan and follow strict licensing rules Statutory regulator
sch. 3 para. 6
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Permit must specify waste types, quantities, methods, and safety measures Crown / Minister / Government department
Notification of determination
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Planning Appeals Commission must notify you of appeal decisions and reasons Tribunal / Court
Particulars to be entered in public registers
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- NIEA must maintain a public register of waste management activities Statutory regulator
Conditions of site licences: WEEE
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- NIEA must include WEEE storage and treatment conditions in site licences Statutory regulator
Conditions of waste management licences: waste batteries and accumulators
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- NIEA must include battery treatment conditions in waste licences Statutory regulator
Conditions of waste management licences: calculation of recycling efficiencies of the recycling processes of waste batteries and accumulators
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- NIEA must ensure battery recycling processes meet efficiency standards Crown / Minister / Government department
Conditions of waste management licences: separately collected food waste
- Do not mix separately collected food waste with other materials Operator
Conditions of waste management licences: Materials facilities
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- NIEA must ensure materials facilities licences include Code compliance Crown / Minister / Government department
Waste oils
- Prevent contamination of waste oil and base oil Any Person
Registration in connection with exempt activities
Fine up to £500- Carry out exempt waste activity without registration Any Person
Registration obligations
- Keep records of exempt waste activity plans and documents Any Person
Registration of brokers
Unlimited fine- Act as unregistered waste broker or dealer Any Person
End of Life Vehicles Directive
- Ensure control and compliance for end-of-life vehicle treatment Applicant
Browse 31 other sections — procedural / definitional / commencement
sch. 2 para. 1
sch. 3 para. 13
sch. 3 para. 2
sch. 3 para. 4
sch. 3 para. 7
sch. 5 para. 1
sch. 5 para. 2
Citation, commencement and interpretation
Offences
Technical competence
Technical competence – transitional provisions
Pre-qualification technical competence
Notice of appeal
Time limit for making an appeal
Information to be excluded or removed from a register
Mobile plant
Health at Work
Groundwater
Amendments to the Groundwater Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998
Exclusion of activities under other control regimes from waste management licensing
Exemptions from waste management licensing
Refusal, revocation and cessation of registration
Waste Framework Directive
Amendment of the Deposits in the Sea (Exemptions) Order (Northern Ireland) 1995
Amendment of the Special Waste Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998
Amendment of the Controlled Waste (Registration of Carriers and Seizure of Vehicles) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999
Revocations
Exclusion from waste management licensing: waste batteries and accumulators
Fees and charges for registration in connection with exempt activities
Food waste exemptions from waste management licensing
“ Relevant Waste ” means— subject to paragraph 38 of...
Official guidance
Authoritative sources published by regulators or government explaining this legislation.
- NIEA waste management licensing (opens in a new tab) Detailed Guidance
- NIEA environmental incident hotline (opens in a new tab) Detailed Guidance
- NetRegs - Free environmental guidance for NI and Scotland (opens in a new tab) Detailed Guidance
- DAERA - Protect the environment (opens in a new tab) Detailed Guidance
- NIEA - Northern Ireland Environment Agency (opens in a new tab) Detailed Guidance
- Check if you need an environmental permit (opens in a new tab) from Environment Agency Detailed Guidance
- Northern Ireland waste legislation (NetRegs) (opens in a new tab) Detailed Guidance
Enforcement and responsible bodies
The regulators that administer or enforce this legislation.
Northern Ireland Environment Agency
Northern Ireland's environmental regulator. Part of the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA). Issues environmental permits, regulates waste and emissions, …
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Browse legislation
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Regulators
Learn more about the bodies that enforce this legislation.