Why is it Required?
At present small volumes of waste (i.e. up to 10m3) produced from unplanned utilities and repair works are currently disposed of as non-hazardous waste and you do not need to apply a hazardous waste classification for these excavated wastes if you follow the conditions set out in the regulatory position statement 211 (RPS 211). However, this will change this year, due to the withdrawal of RPS211 which is proposed to take place in April 2020. As a result, there will be the requirement for all excavated waste material (regardless of the volume) to be tested and classified for waste disposal purposes in accordance with hazardous waste technical guidance.
Not classifying your waste will mean that, by default, the waste must be hazardous which attracts a significantly higher gate fee for disposal. The difference is £91.35 per tonne (tax year 19/20) compared to £2.90 per tonne. To put these figures into context, the equivalent 10m3 of construction waste is approximately 18 tonnes. The tax alone is £1644, this is a significant increase in costs compared to c. £52 disposal costs.