All Amber Waste Wood to be Classified as ‘Non-Hazardous’

THE ENVIRONMENT AGENCY is set to classify amber waste wood items from both recycling and demolition waste streams as non-hazardous.

The decision follows six years of work involving over a thousand tests, led by the Wood Recyclers’ Association (WRA). It is expected to save the industry millions in hazardous waste disposal costs and red tape.

Amber Waste Wood

Up until now, certain treated ‘amber’ waste wood items, including roofing battens, timbers and other wood typically removed during a re-roof of buildings built between 1950 and 2006, have been deemed ‘potentially hazardous’.

These are currently subject to Regulatory Position statements RPS249 and RPS 291 which were due to expire at the end of September 2024 and are now in the process of being withdrawn.

Following a meeting with the WRA last week (4 September), the Environment Agency said it was satisfied that the amount of hazardous waste wood in both the recycling and demolition waste streams was negligible and reducing.

Non-Hazardous Waste Roofing Wood

This means that, even after the temporary RPSs are removed, these items can be moved and processed as non-hazardous. As long as the waste wood items are destined for panel board manufacture or Chapter IV biomass, there will be no requirement for further testing.

Wood from heavy industrial buildings is an exception and will still need to be assessed and tested.

Howard Leberman, Senior Policy Advisor at the Environment Agency, said: “We are very pleased to have reached a risk-based and proportionate outcome through great collaborative working with the WRA. We are therefore happy to remove RPS 249 and RPS 291 and will take the necessary steps to withdraw them before their expiry at the end of September.”

Vicki Hughes, WRA Technical Lead

Vicki Hughes, Technical Lead on the WRA Board, said: “We are absolutely delighted that all our hard work has paid off and that the Environment Agency has recognised that the hazardous waste wood content in these waste streams is tiny and diminishing.

“While we knew the hazardous content was low, we needed the evidence to prove it so a massive thank you to all those organisations who took part in sampling and testing and in particular to WRA members, who really led the charge.”

The WRA will be updating its household, construction and demolition waste wood classification guidance documents.

The Environment Agency’s position relates to England and it is hoped that a similar position will be adopted in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, although the WRA is still awaiting confirmation.

The amber items of waste wood to be classified as non-hazardous from the end of September are from buildings built between 1950 and 2006 and include:

• Roof timbers
• Tiling and cladding battens
• Timber frames and joists

Amber items are also from buildings built between 1950 and 1995 and are:

• Barge boards, fascias and soffits
• External timber cladding
• External doors
• External windows

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