Environmental Protection Act 1990

75 Meaning of “waste” and household, commercial and industrial waste and special waste. E+W+S

(1) The following provisions apply for the interpretation of this Part.

(2) “Waste” includes—

(a) any substance which constitutes a scrap material or an effluent or other unwanted surplus substance arising from the application of any process; and

(b) any substance or article which requires to be disposed of as being broken, worn out, contaminated or otherwise spoiled;

but does not include a substance which is an explosive within the meaning of the M1 Explosives Act 1875.

(3) Any thing which is discarded or otherwise dealt with as if it were waste shall be presumed to be waste unless the contrary is proved.

(4) “Controlled waste” means household, industrial and commercial waste or any such waste.

(5) Subject to subsection (8) below, “household waste” means waste from—

(a) domestic property, that is to say, a building or self-contained part of a building which is used wholly for the purposes of living accommodation;

(b) a caravan (as defined in section 29(1) of the M2 Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960) which usually and for the time being is situated on a caravan site (within the meaning of that Act);

(c) a residential home;

(d) premises forming part of a university or school or other educational establishment;

(e) premises forming part of a hospital or nursing home.

(6) Subject to subsection (8) below, “industrial waste” means waste from any of the following premises—

(a) any factory (within the meaning of the M3 Factories Act 1961);

(b) any premises used for the purposes of, or in connection with, the provision to the public of transport services by land, water or air;

(c) any premises used for the purposes of, or in connection with, the supply to the public of gas, water or electricity or the provision of sewerage services; or

(d) any premises used for the purposes of, or in connection with, the provision to the public of postal or telecommunications services.

(7) Subject to subsection (8) below, “commercial waste” means waste from premises used wholly or mainly for the purposes of a trade or business or the purposes of sport, recreation or entertainment excluding—

(a) household waste;

(b) industrial waste;

(c) waste from any mine or quarry and waste from premises used for agriculture within the meaning of the M4 Agriculture Act 1947 or, in Scotland, the M5 Agriculture (Scotland) Act 1948; and

(d) waste of any other description prescribed by regulations made by the Secretary of State for the purposes of this paragraph.

(8) Regulations made by the Secretary of State may provide that waste of a description prescribed in the regulations shall be treated for the purposes of provisions of this Part prescribed in the regulations as being or not being household waste or industrial waste or commercial waste; but no regulations shall be made in respect of such waste as is mentioned in subsection (7)(c) above and references to waste in subsection (7) above and this subsection do not include sewage (including matter in or from a privy) except so far as the regulations provide otherwise.

(9) “Special waste” means controlled waste as respects which regulations are in force under section 62 above.

Commencement Information

I1 S. 75 wholly in force at 31.5.1991 see s. 164(3) and S.I. 1991/1319, art. 2

Marginal Citations

M1 1875 c. 17.

M2 1960 c. 62.

M3 1961 c. 34.

M4 1947 c. 48.

M5 1948 c. 45.