UKuksi/1992/462Enacted

The Environmental Protection (Waste Recycling Payments) Regulations 1992

Jurisdiction:
United Kingdom
Type:
Incentives · EPR
Last action:
Jan 1, 1992
Other
Next steps for producers

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Applies toWaste disposal authorities (as defined under the Environmental Protection Act 1990) obligated to make recycling payments to waste collection authorities or other recycling collectors

Obligations under this law
  • ·Waste disposal authorities must pay waste collection authorities amounts representing their net savings on disposal costs for waste retained for recycling (s.52(1) EPA 1990)
  • ·Waste disposal authorities may pay persons other than waste collection authorities equivalent amounts for waste collected for recycling (s.52(3) EPA 1990)
  • ·Net saving of expenditure must be calculated as at least half the expenditure that would have been incurred disposing of the waste at the authority's average cost per tonne using its most expensive disposal method
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No designated program action is recorded for this measure yet — treat the above as the general obligation and verify against the source text.

Establishes financial incentive mechanism (recycling payments) for waste disposal authorities to retain/collect waste for recycling rather than disposal, operationalizing EPR-adjacent stewardship principles under the Environmental Protection Act 1990; enacted 1992 but foundational to UK waste hierarchy and circular economy infrastructure.
Covered Products
  • ·waste retained by collection authorities for recycling
  • ·waste collected by persons other than waste collection authorities for recycling
Producer Obligations
  • ·Waste disposal authorities must pay waste collection authorities amounts representing their net savings on disposal costs for waste retained for recycling (s.52(1) EPA 1990)
  • ·Waste disposal authorities may pay persons other than waste collection authorities equivalent amounts for waste collected for recycling (s.52(3) EPA 1990)
  • ·Net saving of expenditure must be calculated as at least half the expenditure that would have been incurred disposing of the waste at the authority's average cost per tonne using its most expensive disposal method
  • ·In calculating average cost per tonne, authorities must account for: market value of assets (including land) used in disposal, operating expenditure for sites or transfer stations, transport costs, future site closure/restoration/maintenance costs, and any other related expenditure
  • ·Where sufficient accurate information is unavailable or obtainable only at disproportionate cost, authorities must use the representative savings figures set out in the Schedule
Exemptions
  • ·Expenditure incurred by the authority in determining the amount of, or in making, any payment under s.52(1) or (3) EPA 1990 is excluded from the net saving calculation
  • ·Provisions relating to s.52(2), (4) and (5) EPA 1990 had not been commenced at the time these Regulations were made and are not covered
Key Deadlines
Apr 1, 1992compliance: Regulations come into force; obligations to determine and make waste recycling payments apply from this date
Producer Definition
Waste disposal authorities (as defined under the Environmental Protection Act 1990) obligated to make recycling payments to waste collection authorities or other recycling collectors
Fee Structure
Per Ton: Net saving calculated per tonne. Default minimum is half the authority's average cost per tonne using its most expensive disposal method. Fallback Schedule figures: £16.50/tonne for inner London authorities; £14.00/tonne for outer London authorities; £11.00/tonne for Greater Manchester WDA, Merseyside WDA, and metropolitan district councils; £8.00/tonne for any other authority incurring transport costs; £4.50/tonne for any other authority not incurring transport costs. A higher amount applies if the actual net saving can be demonstrated to exceed the default minimum.
Enforcement
Secretary of State for the Environment; Secretary of State for Wales; Scottish Office (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State):
Preemption Notes
These Regulations implement a specific statutory duty under s.52 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 for waste disposal authorities in England, Wales, and Scotland. They do not directly regulate private producers, manufacturers, or importers.
Compliance Dimensions
Fees16.5 GBP Per Ton — Waste disposed of by a London waste disposal authority for an area including an inner London borough; council of an inner London borough; Common Council of the City of London; 14 GBP Per Ton — Waste disposed of by a London waste disposal authority comprising outer London boroughs; council of an outer London borough; 11 GBP Per Ton — Waste disposed of by the Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority; the Merseyside Waste Disposal Authority; the council of a metropolitan district

“Type of waste disposal authority Saving in waste disposal costs per tonne A London waste disposal authority for an area which includes an inner London borough. The council of an inner London borough. The Common Council of the City of London £16·50 A London waste disposal authority which comprises outer London boroughs. The council of an outer London borough. £14·00 The Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority. The Merseyside Waste Disposal Authority. The council of a metropolitan district. £11·00 Any other waste disposal authority. £8·00 where the authority incurs any transport costs in disposing of similar waste and £4·50 in other cases.”

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Full bill text

Citation, commencement and interpretation

1

1

These Regulations may be cited as the Environmental Protection (Waste Recycling Payments) Regulations 1992 and shall come into force on 1st April 1992.

2

In these Regulations—

“the 1990 Act ” means the Environmental Protection Act 1990; and

“transport costs” includes any contribution made by a waste disposal authority to a collection authority under section 52(10) of the 1990 Act.

Determination of a waste disposal authority’s net saving of expenditure where waste is to be recycled

2

1

A waste disposal authority’s net saving of expenditure for the purposes of section 52(1) or (3) of the 1990 Act in relation to waste which is retained or collected for recycling shall be determined in accordance with the following provisions of this regulation.

2

The authority’s net saving of expenditure shall be an amount equal to half the expenditure which it would have incurred in disposing of the waste at a cost per tonne equal to its average cost per tonne at the relevant time of disposing of similar waste using its most expensive disposal method unless it is shown that its net saving of expenditure is a higher amount, in which case it shall be that amount.

3

In determining its average cost per tonne of disposing of similar waste, the authority shall take into account—

a

the market value at the relevant time of any of its assets (including land) used in connection with disposal of that waste;

b

any expenditure incurred by the authority in operating any site or transfer station used in connection with the disposal of that waste;

c

any transport costs incurred by the authority in relation to that waste;

d

any expenditure which will be incurred in closing, restoring and subsequently maintaining any site belonging to the authority which is used for the disposal of that waste; and

e

any other expenditure incurred by the authority in relation to that waste.

4

No account shall be taken of expenditure incurred by the authority in determining the amount of, or in making, any payment under section 52(1) or (3) of the 1990 Act.

5

If a determination cannot be made under paragraph (2) because sufficient accurate information is not available or could only be obtained at a disproportionate cost, the authority’s net saving of expenditure shall be determined by reference to the relevant figure shown in the Schedule hereto.

Michael Heseltine
Secretary of State for the Environment

26th February 1992

David Hunt
Secretary of State for Wales

26th February 1992

James Douglas-Hamilton
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Scottish Office

2nd March 1992

THE SCHEDULE

REPRESENTATIVE SAVINGS IN WASTE DISPOSAL COSTS

Regulation 2(5)

Type of waste disposal authority Saving in waste disposal costs per tonne

A London waste disposal authority for an area which includes an inner London borough.

The council of an inner London borough.

The Common Council of the City of London

£16·50
A London waste disposal authority which comprises outer London boroughs.

The council of an outer London borough.

£14·00
The Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority.

The Merseyside Waste Disposal Authority.

The council of a metropolitan district.

£11·00 Any other waste disposal authority. £8·00 where the authority incurs any transport costs in disposing of similar waste and £4·50 in other cases.

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

Section 52(1) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 requires waste disposal authorities to pay waste collection authorities amounts representing their net savings on the disposal of waste retained by the collection authorities for recycling.

Section 52(3) of that Act confers a power on waste disposal authorities to pay persons other than waste collection authorities equivalent amounts for waste collected by them for recycling.

These Regulations discharge the Secretary of State’s duty to make provision for the determination of a waste disposal authority’s net saving of expenditure for the purposes of section 52(1) or (3) of that Act in relation to such waste (the corresponding duty in relation to section 52(2), (4) and (5) has not yet been commenced).

990 c.43 .

Full text as ingested. Verify against the official source above.

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