Welsh farmers warned about bogus waste recovery operators

Farmers are being warned against bogus waste recovery operators who deposit unsuitable waste materials onto farmland and which could leave farmers with an expensive clean-up.

NFU Cymru President Ed Bailey said, "We have been working closely with the Environment Agency who have reported operators offering farmers and landowners waste materials for the creation of tracks and hard standing, filling in uneven field hollows, or as fertiliser and soil conditioner. These operators have even been known to offer to register the relevant permit or exemption with the Environment Agency on behalf of the farmer. Of course, they do no such thing and once the waste has been deposited, farmers have been shocked to see that the waste was not as described, not fit for purpose and contrary to the permit or exemption conditions. In some cases, this could lead to crop losses, damage to land or cause pollution of the local environment."

Waste materials can be brought onto farm for a variety of purposes and typically includes builders’ rubble and soils, food and green wastes, sediment from washing processes or composts and digestates. Farmers using waste materials need to have either an Environmental Permit or a waste exemption registered with the Environment Agency before the material can be used. Permit and exemption conditions specify the types and quantities of waste which can be used for a specified purpose.

Waste operators may offer to register the relevant permit or exemption with the Environment Agency on behalf of the farmer. Farmers need to be aware of their liabilities in such situations, since any waste which they allow to be deposited on their land becomes their responsibility.

If unsuitable for the purpose or contrary to the conditions of a permit or exemption, this could lead to an EA or local authority investigation and farmers will be required to remove the waste to a licensed facility at their own expense. Removal charges will include £56 per tonne landfill tax, landfill gate fees and transport costs, which could add up to thousands of pounds where numerous truckloads of unsuitable waste have been deposited and have to be removed.