The Environment Agency for England & Wales has published guidance for Environment Agency officers, waste producers and the waste management industry. It will assist in the development of sampling plans, in undertaking testing programmes for waste characterisation and in compliance testing and the use of the data to determine acceptance of granular and monolithic wastes to landfill. It has been prepared to:

· outline responsibilities in relation to waste testing for acceptance to landfill
· provide background on the technical aspects of waste characterisation
· provide guidance on compliance measures for waste acceptance to landfill

The document presents EA guidance on sampling and testing of wastes to determine acceptance at landfill of both granular and monolithic wastes. It also details the proposed approach to determining compliance with the waste acceptance procedures.

The full landfill waste acceptance criteria for granular wastes are being implemented in the UK via the Landfill (England & Wales) Regulations 2002 and their subsequent amendments. The criteria for granular wastes are based on maximum limit values for eluate concentrations derived from a European standard batch leaching test and total or sum parameters for certain other determinands.

The proposed landfill acceptance criteria for monolithic wastes have been published in the draft Landfill (England and Wales) Regulations 2005. These are based on limit values for cumulative leached concentrations from a diffusion leaching test as well as organic content of input wastes to the process that produces the waste form.

The waste acceptance criteria will be introduced in July 2005 at landfills for hazardous waste and as part of the Pollution Prevention and Control (PPC) permitting process for other sites. All waste producers must obtain characterisation data that, among other uses, will determine the destiny of each of their waste streams.

First, there may be a need to determine whether the waste is hazardous or non-hazardous. Then, if it is to be landfilled, the class of landfill at which it can be accepted must be identified. With the exception of certain listed and one-off wastes, each waste will be tested periodically by the landfill operator to ensure that the waste complies with the waste acceptance criteria for that class of landfill.

This guidance is primarily aimed at the sampling and testing of wastes that are either generated on a regular basis and are reasonably consistent in quality, or, where separation at source can generate waste streams that are reasonably consistent.

The characterisation of wastes is required under The Environmental Protection (Duty of Care) Regulations 1991 (as amended) (for example for declaration of hazard properties) as well as for assessing waste acceptance to landfill. Sampling and testing can be time-consuming and expensive.

The Agency recommends that every opportunity is taken to obtain additional value from the sampling exercise by including samples collected under average and worst-case operational conditions. The information on variation of waste characteristics might assist decisions about alternative treatment or disposal options. It can also be cost-effective to commit a high proportion of the required sampling and testing budget to an initial testing programme. This should ensure that reliable information is collected about the sources of variability in any waste stream before the sampling plan for a longer term testing programme is devised.

Testing is not always required if there is considerable relevant knowledge about the production process, and the technical expertise of the waste producer can be harnessed effectively to determine the characteristics of the waste. For many industries there is an opportunity for the trade association to co-ordinate a well-designed, stratified sampling programme so that information on pl