U12 waste exemption: using mulch
Types of waste and maximum amounts you can use for spreading as mulch to benefit land around trees, bushes or plants.
Applies to England
The U12 exemption allows landscapers, farmers and growers to spread mulch using wood chips and plant matter made from waste.
Conditions
You must comply with the exemption conditions.聽
The waste you use must:聽聽
- match the waste codes聽
- be suitable for mulching
- be stored in a secure location before it is used
You cannot:
- use more waste than is needed to protect and benefit the soil - using more is classed as disposal
- store and use more than the maximum amount allowed
- use waste wood that has been chemically treated
Chemically treated waste wood means it has been preserved, varnished, coated, painted or exposed to chemicals.
Types and amounts of waste you can use
Your waste must fit within the waste code and description.
| Waste codes | Type of waste |
|---|---|
| 02 01 03 19 12 07 20 02 01 |
Untreated wood and plant matter |
You can store or use up to 100 tonnes of mulch in total in any month.
Check if you need other permits聽
You must comply with other rules that apply to your activity. You바카라 사이트檒l need an environmental permit or a different exemption if you want to use:聽聽聽
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waste that is not listed in this exemption聽聽聽
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more waste than is allowed
Waste activity on a linear network聽
Linear networks are long stretches that do not have a defined address or gridpoint. They include roads, rivers, canals and railways.聽聽聽
You can register a U12 exemption if the mulch is produced and used on the same linear network. You cannot import waste mulch from other sites.聽聽
You can use up to 10 tonnes of mulch per linear mile per month.
Registering your waste exemption聽
Register your U12 exemption with the Environment Agency. Most people can register through the聽waste exemption service.聽聽
Linear networks and multiple site registrations聽
You바카라 사이트檒l need to complete this registration form instead of using the online service.
Registration rules聽
You cannot:聽
- have more than one U12 at a site at the same time聽
- register a U12 if it바카라 사이트檚 already been registered at the site by another business聽
- renew your registration more than one month before the 3-year registration period ends聽
- increase the storage limit by registering a separate storage exemption聽聽
- store waste that바카라 사이트檚 not included in the exemption
- deregister an exemption then register it again within 3 years of the start of the earlier registration聽
U12 related exemptions
T6: treating waste wood and plant matter
U10: spreading waste to benefit agricultural land
U11: spreading waste on non-agricultural land
Contact the Environment Agency
General enquiries
National Customer Contact Centre
PO Box 544
Rotherham
S60 1BY
Email enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk
Telephone 03708 506 506
Telephone from outside the UK (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm GMT) +44 (0) 114 282 5312
Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.
Updates to this page
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Updated to clarify the registration rules and conditions, including information about linear networks.
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First published.