Waste Exemption Guidance
Under the Waste and Contaminated Land (Northern Ireland) Order 1997 and the Waste Management Licensing Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003, all activities involving the treatment, keeping or disposal of waste must be authorised by NIEA. Some activities involving waste materials are exempt from licensing if they meet the requirements detailed in Regulation 17 of the Waste Management Licensing Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003.
To enable applications for waste management exemptions (new or renewal), to be processed as swiftly as possible, application forms are being made available online.
The application form asks for the information the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) needs to decide if your activity can be registered as exempt from waste management licensing. If you fill in the form accurately, NIEA will be able to deal with your application quicker.
For each of the exemptions you will be required to upload supporting evidence. Please check the More Information link for the required documents.
Each of the exemptions will require you to sign in using a Government Gateway or NIDA account. If you do not have a Government Gateway or NIDA account, then there is a link to register for one.
Please note that for Paragraphs 11; 12; 15; 19; and 45 you will need to demonstrate that the site has, and is, operated in accordance with planning permission where such planning permission is required. In practice this means you must submit a copy of your planning permission or if planning permission is not required, written confirmation from the council that this is not required.
Waste Exemption Renewals
Use this form if you want to renew an existing waste exemption.
Before you apply- There is a £725.00 or £1000.00 fee depending on the type of exemption.
- You will need a credit or debit card to pay for the renewal.
- You can only apply for a renewal if it is within two months of it’s expiry date (and has not gone past it).
Simple Waste Exemption
Use this application form if you want to carry out any of the following exempt activities listed in Schedule 2, Part I of The Waste Management Licensing Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003 (as amended), known thereafter as ‘The Regulations’:
Paragraph numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 12, 16, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 34, 36, 40, 44, 46, 47.
Before you apply- There is a £1000.00 fee.
- You will need a credit or debit card.
- You will need to provide copies of supporting documents – please see More Information for further details.
Waste Exemption - Paragraph 9
Use this form if you wish to apply to register an exempt activity: Paragraph 9 - Land treatment for agricultural benefit or ecological improvement
Before you apply- There is a £725.00 fee.
- You will need a credit or debit card.
- You will need to provide copies of supporting documents – please see More Information for further details.
Waste Exemption - Paragraph 10b
Use this form if you wish to apply to register an exempt activity: Paragraph 10b - The storage of sludge
Before you apply- There is a £725.00 fee.
- You will need a credit or debit card.
- You will need to provide copies of supporting documents – please see More Information for further details.
Waste Exemption - Paragraph 11
Use this form if you wish to apply to register an exempt activity: Paragraph 11 - The reclamation, restoration or improvement of land
Before you apply- There is a £725.00 fee.
- You will need a credit or debit card.
- You will need to provide copies of supporting documents – please see More Information for further details.
Waste Exemption - Paragraph 13
Use this form if you wish to apply to register an exempt activity: Paragraph 13 - The composting and storage of biodegradable waste.
Before you apply- There is a £725.00 fee.
- You will need a credit or debit card.
- You will need to provide copies of supporting documents – please see More Information for further details.
Waste Exemption - Paragraph 14
Use this form if you wish to apply to register an exempt activity: Paragraph 14 - Manufacture of products from waste, the treatment of waste soil or rock which is to be spread on land under Paragraph 9 or 11 and the storage of waste which is to be submitted to the preceding activities.
Before you apply- There is a £1000.00 fee.
- You will need a credit or debit card.
- You will need to provide copies of supporting documents – please see More Information for further details.
Waste Exemption - Paragraph 15
Use this form if you wish to apply to register an exempt activity: Paragraph 15 - The manufacture of finished goods from waste metal, plastic, glass, ceramics, rubber, textiles, wood, paper or cardboard, and the storage of those wastes.
Before you apply- There is a £1000.00 fee.
- You will need a credit or debit card.
- You will need to provide copies of supporting documents – please see More Information for further details.
Waste Exemption - Paragraph 19
Use this form if you wish to apply to register an exempt activity: Paragraph 19 - The use and/or storage of waste for the purpose of construction, maintenance or improvement of relevant work.
Before you apply- There is a £725.00 fee.
- You will need a credit or debit card.
- You will need to provide copies of supporting documents – please see More Information for further details.
Waste Exemption - Paragraph 45
Use this form if you wish to apply to register an exempt activity: Paragraph 45 - The recovery of scrap metal or the dismantling of depolluted end-of-life vehicles
Before you apply- There is a £725.00 fee.
- You will need a credit or debit card.
- You will need to provide copies of supporting documents – please see More Information for further details.
Waste Exemption - Paragraph 49
Use this form if you wish to apply to register an exempt activity: Paragraph 49 - The repair, refurbishment, and storage of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE)
Before you apply- There is a £725.00 fee.
- You will need a credit or debit card.
- You will need to provide copies of supporting documents – please see More Information for further details.
Waste Exemption - Paragraph 50
Use this form if you wish to apply to register an exempt activity: Paragraph 50 - The secure storage of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE)
Before you apply- There is a £725.00 fee.
- You will need a credit or debit card.
- You will need to provide copies of supporting documents – please see More Information for further details.
Waste Exemption - Paragraph 52
Use this form if you wish to apply to register an exempt activity: Paragraph 52 - The secure storage of waste batteries and accumulators
Before you apply- There is a £725.00 fee.
- You will need a credit or debit card.
- You will need to provide copies of supporting documents – please see More Information for further details.
Other Exemptions
We are currently in the process of putting all of our exemptions online.
This work is ongoing so please use the links below to apply for other types of exemptions.
Other Exemptions