Statutory data returns

What waste management activities are regulated by SEPA?

SEPA regulates all waste management activities in Scotland. SEPA also monitors the movement of special (hazardous) wastes around Scotland, as well as monitoring packaging waste, waste electrical and electronic equipment, end-of-life vehicles, transfrontier shipments of waste and waste pollutants to air and water.

How does SEPA regulate these activities?

Most waste management activities are regulated through Waste Management Licences and Pollution Prevention and Control permits. Waste management activities that are lower risk, such as some reclamation and recycling activities, are not usually seen as a threat to the environment or to human health. They are, therefore, exempt from the need to obtain a waste management licence, but these exempt activities must still be registered with SEPA.

The movement of special waste is monitored through special waste consignment notes.

The waste regulation pages provide further information on licensing and permitting, exempt activities, special waste consignment notes and transfrontier shipments of waste.

Packaging waste, waste electrical and electronic equipment and end-of-life vehicles are regulated by Producer Responsibility. The release of waste pollutants to air and water is monitored by the Scottish Pollutants Release Inventory. For more information on these please see relevant pages.

Why does SEPA need to regulate these activities?

Waste management activities, including any lower risk exempt activities, are regulated by SEPA to prevent pollution and to prevent harm to human health.

Special wastes need to be monitored as they pose particular risks to human health and the environment. These wastes display one or more hazardous characteristics or properties, such as being explosive, highly flammable, toxic or carcinogenic.

Reasons why SEPA regulates Producer Responsibility, transfrontier shipments of waste and waste pollutants to air and water are explained on the relevant pages of this website.

What data are provided by regulated activities?

Conditions in a waste management licence or pollution prevention and control permit require the provision of quarterly data to SEPA on the types and quantities of waste handled at the facility. Further information is available on the licensed-permitted site data page.

Certain exempt activities are required to keep annual records on the types and quantities of waste used in connection with the exempt activity. These records either have to be submitted to SEPA or made available on request. Further information is available on the exempt activity data page.

Each movement of special waste must be accompanied by a special waste consignment note. This contains information on the types and quantity of the waste, the producer and sender of the waste, and the person and facility receiving the waste. Further information is available on the special waste data page.

Details of other statutory data collected by SEPA are available in the other statutory waste data page.

What does SEPA do with the data?

SEPA uses the data provided by regulated activities to check compliance with the licence or permit, to contribute towards national and international reporting obligations and to inform the National Waste Plan. The data are also published in the annual Waste Data Digest.

SEPA produces a number of individual reports specifically relating to the waste handled by exempt activities and licensed/permitted sites.

The information recorded in special waste consignment notes allows SEPA to monitor the movements of these hazardous wastes, and to produce summary data on the types and quantities of special waste moved, treated and disposed.

Links to all the data and reports which SEPA produces from statutory waste data are available throughout this section.