T4: storing and preparing for further treatment
T4 exemption allows you to treat waste to reduce its volume for transport to another site for reuse, recycling or to make handling easier.
Applies to England
There바카라 사이트檚 a charge for most waste exemptions
This exemption is in band 1. Read waste exemption charges to find out what the charges and charging bands are.
Types of activity you can carry out
These include:
- baling loose paper and cardboard before transporting it to another site for recycling
- baling and shredding aluminium cans
- sorting different types of plastic bottles
Types of activity you cannot carry out
You cannot:
- use heat to densify the waste
- combine the storage limits of this exemption and S2 - storing waste in a secure place to increase the overall storage capacity (this exemption has storage limits for each type of waste so you don바카라 사이트檛 have to register 2 separate exemptions)
- mix types of waste for treatment or storage
- treat hazardous waste
- bale waste before it is sent to landfill or incineration
Types of waste you can treat
The waste codes are those listed in the List of Wastes (LoW) Regulations. Make sure your waste fits within the relevant waste code and description.
| Waste code | Type of waste |
|---|---|
| 15聽01聽04 20聽01聽40 |
Cans and foils only |
| 07聽02聽13 15聽01聽02 15聽01聽05 |
Food and drink cartons only |
| 15聽01聽07 16聽01聽20 17聽02聽02 19聽12聽05 20聽01聽02 |
Glass |
| 03聽03聽08 03聽03聽07 15聽01聽01 19聽12聽01 20聽01聽01 |
Paper and cardboard (excluding food and drink cartons) |
| 02聽01聽04 07聽02聽13 12聽01聽05 15聽01聽02 16聽01聽19 17聽02聽03 19聽12聽04 20聽01聽39 |
Plastic |
| 04聽02聽22 15聽01聽09 19聽12聽08 20聽01聽10 20聽01聽11 |
Textiles and clothes |
Amount of waste you can treat and store
Where the treatment involves pulverising waste you can treat up to five tonnes in any 7-day period and the pulverising must take place indoors.
You can store waste for up to 12 months.
Cans and foils
You can:
- treat up to 100 tonnes outside in any 7-day period
- treat up to 500 tonnes indoors in any 7-day period
- store up to 500 tonnes at any one time
Food and drink cartons and plastics
You can:
- treat up to 100 tonnes outside in any 7-day period
- treat up to 3,000 tonnes indoors in any 7-day period
- store up to 500 tonnes at any one time
Glass
You can:
- treat up to 5,000 tonnes in any 7-day period
- store up to 5,000 tonnes at any one time
Textiles
You can:
- treat up to 1,000 tonnes outside in any 7-day period
- treat up to 3,000 tonnes indoors in any 7-day period
- store up to 1,000 tonnes at any one time
Paper and cardboard
You can:
- treat up to 500 tonnes outside in any 7-day period
- treat up to 3,000 tonnes indoors in any 7-day period
- store up to 15,000 tonnes at any one time (up to 1,000 tonnes outside in an enclosure designed and maintained to prevent litter escaping)
The waste can only be stored:
- in a baled form
- in a container or indoors
Key conditions
Different types of waste have to arrive separately and be kept apart throughout the treatment.
The waste must be stored and treated in a secure place.
You do not need to register this exemption if you only want to bale waste at the place where it is produced. This is accepted as ancillary treatment before the collection of waste.
Related exemptions
If you only want to store these types of waste but not treat them, you could register:
S2 바카라 사이트� storing waste in a secure place
There is another exemption which allows small-scale sorting of mixed recyclable wastes. You could consider:
T10 바카라 사이트� sorting mixed wastes
Register a T4 exemption
You need to register this exemption with the Environment Agency if you meet the requirements.
Related permits
If you want to treat more than the amount of waste allowed under this exemption, you must apply for an environmental permit.
Definitions
Hazardous waste 바카라 사이트� see how to classify different types of waste.
Place of production 바카라 사이트� the place where waste was originally produced.
Secure 바카라 사이트� a container, lagoon or other place is secure if:
- all reasonable precautions are taken to make sure the waste cannot escape
- members of the public cannot gain access to the waste
Updates to this page
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Updated with a link to new information about charges and charging bands for waste exemptions.
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Updated the message at the start to say changes to exemptions are expected to start in 2025 but that timescales have not been finalised.
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We have added information about changes to this waste exemption that are likely to happen during 2024 to 2025.
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First published.