New demolition wood waste regulation

On September 1^st the Environment Agency withdrew Regulatory Position Statement (RPS) 250, which means a select number of items from buildings pre-2007 will become classified as hazardous and not be able to be sent to wood recyclers and instead go for hazardous disposal.

What was RPS250?

RPS250 was introduced by the environment agency in 2021 and allowed potentially hazardous ‘amber’ waste wood items from the construction and demolition industry to be moved and processed as non-hazardous. However, its withdrawal from September 1^st 2023, means that structural timbers, wooden tiling battens, and external joinery from pre-2007 buildings will no longer be accepted at wood recycling sites.

What makes the wood hazardous?

The wood has been moved to a hazardous classification due to the treatments typically used on these wood types between 1950 and 2007. The most common treatments are Chromated Copper Arsenate (CCA); which is carcinogenic and ecotoxic, as well as creosote an irritant, toxic, carcinogenic, sensitizing and ecotoxic.

How does this affect me?

If you work with waste wood, whether that be construction waste wood or demolition waste wood, you need to be aware of the newly classified hazardous materials. If you identify them, you need to ensure that you are handling them correctly.

Patrick Rafferty, Environmental Sustainability and Compliance Advisor says: “We have been working hard to ensure that we can present a viable and compliant disposal route for this material to our clients. This has included conversations with the EA and meetings with the Wood Recyclers Association to increase our understanding of the actions that need to be taken to guarantee compliance as well as support our customers.”

How do I know if the Waste Wood is hazardous?

The following flow chart details the initial questions that need to be asked when assessing whether your waste wood should be classed as hazardous or non-hazardous. 

By classifying waste wood, you can identify which items are hazardous under WM3 guidance and ensure they are dealt with appropriately.

How do I deal with Hazardous Waste Wood?

If you have identified hazardous wood on site, it should be segregated to prevent contamination of other waste types. When looking for a disposal route ensure your waste carrier is permitted to take the material in, it should be moved and stored as EWC code (17.02.04*), you should also check they have a proper disposal outlet for this material.

What are Powerday doing to help?

We are able to collect this material and store it at our Old Oak Sidings depot under our environmental permit. We have been working with a specialist hazardous waste disposal site to ensure that we have an outlet for any of this material we bring in. We have been working with both our clients and tipping customers to help them understand the new legislation and offer any support we can.