SWUK 2025: What the New Street Works Protocol Means for WAC Testing

From 1 October 2025, the Street Works UK (SWUK) Material Classification Protocol becomes the default route for classifying excavation arisings from street and utility works, replacing the Environment Agency’s temporary RPS 298 and 299. That shift sounds niche, but it has real consequences for anyone digging in the highway or managing soils and asphalt from emergency repairs, planned renewals or new connections.

Under the new protocol, producers must carry out structured desk‑based and on‑site risk assessments, segregate waste at source and ensure that an appropriate proportion of arisings is validated through laboratory testing. That testing is not just about assigning a waste code – it is about demonstrating that the material meets the acceptance criteria for the disposal route you intend to use.

This is where properly planned WAC Testing becomes critical. Waste Acceptance Criteria testing looks at how a waste behaves once it is placed in a landfill cell, particularly in terms of leachate chemistry. A soil that looks relatively benign on a classification report may still fail the leaching limits for an inert site and need to be consigned to a more expensive non‑hazardous cell. Conversely, robust WAC data can justify sending suitable material to lower‑cost inert facilities, reducing both disposal and Landfill Tax outlay.

The end of RPS 298/299 also removes some of the historical flexibility around moving small volumes of apparently clean material without full pre‑excavation sampling. Under SWUK, utilities and their contractors will need a repeatable sampling strategy, clear chains of custody and an auditable trail from hole in the road through to final disposal.

EnviroSolution can help street works teams and framework contractors get ahead of the change. We can review your proposed sampling strategy, design a proportionate testing plan and deliver fast‑turnaround WAC Testing backed by clear, landfill‑ready reporting. Where results are borderline, we will explain the options and likely commercial impact so you can make informed decisions before lorries are loaded.

With 2025 fast approaching, now is the right time to sanity‑check how you classify and consign excavation arisings. A modest investment in better WAC Testing is far cheaper than rejection at the gate, emergency re‑routing of loads or regulatory challenge after the fact.