Waste management and planning

Waste management planning, policy and regulation has changed significantly over the last few decades. In particular, less waste is disposed of at landfill and more waste is reused and recycled.

Key drivers for this change include the landfill tax escalator, which provides a financial incentive for business to divert commercial and industrial waste from landfill, increased public and private investment in waste management facilities, and new approaches to waste management, including producer responsibility obligations.

For more information, see Practice Notes: Landfill tax—England and Northern Ireland and Waste projects—overview.

EU legislation was a significant driving force shaping the waste management framework in England and Wales pre-Brexit. For more information, see: Waste and circular economy (EU Law)—overview.

Waste management principles and concepts

Key principles and concepts underlying the development of waste management and policy include:

•
waste prevention and minimisation, and the implementation of the waste hierarchy
•
resource efficiency
•
lifecycle approaches
•
the polluter-pays principle, and
•
producer responsibility

Waste hierarchy

The waste management hierarchy indicates an order of preference for action to reduce and manage waste.

The principle of the waste hierarchy was

To view the latest version of this document and thousands of others like it, sign-in with LexisNexis or register for a free trial.

TAKE A FREE TRIAL

Latest Environment News

UKGBC launches UK Climate Resilience Roadmap

The UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) launched the UK Climate Resilience Roadmap on 26 June 2025, the first guidance of its kind to outline how the UK’s built environment—including homes, schools, offices, hospitals, parks and infrastructure—is increasingly vulnerable to five key climate hazards: overheating, flooding, drought, wildfires and storms. The roadmap identifies 13 areas across the UK most at risk from extreme weather events, noting that places such as Peterborough and Fairbourne could become ‘likely uninhabitable’ by the end of the century due to flooding. It also identifies regions particularly susceptible to storms, wildfires and drought, and outlines strategies to help adapt buildings for a warmer, wetter future. The guidance calls on the government to treat climate resilience as a national emergency and includes several policy recommendations, such as establishing an Office for Resilience within the Cabinet Office, reinstating the Minister for Resilience, protecting all communities with trees, parks and ponds, and fostering a new generation of green professionals. It also sets out a four-stage framework designed to help built environment professionals integrate climate resilience into decision-making across organisations and project teams.

ICC publishes expanded sustainable trade finance principles with social impact focus

The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) has published Wave 2 of its Principles for Sustainable Trade Finance, expanding the framework to include social impact criteria. The update introduces the new Principles for Social Trade Finance (PSoTF), which align with Loan Market Association standards, and provides enhanced guidance for sustainability-linked supply chain finance. In addition, the ICC has launched a public consultation for stakeholder feedback on the new components, which will run until 5 September 2025, with formal ratification anticipated in Q3/Q4 2025. These principles are designed to offer banks and corporates standardised criteria for assessing both environmental and social sustainability in trade finance transactions.

Defra announces tenfold increase in water company compensation payments

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced changes to the Guaranteed Service Standard (GSS) scheme, increasing water company compensation payments by up to tenfold. Customers will now automatically receive higher payments for issues such as persistent low water pressure and cancelled appointments. Under the updated GSS scheme, maximum compensation for sewer flooding will rise from £1,000 to £2,000, while households experiencing persistent low water pressure will be eligible for up to £250, up from £25. Defra is also collaborating with water companies to expand the list of compensable issues to include failures to conduct meter readings and installations. All payments will be automatically credited to customer accounts. These changes represent the first update to compensation rates in 25 years. Defra also confirmed that compensation for customers required to boil their water due to contamination is expected to be introduced later in 2025.

EA consults on standards for waste battery storage and treatment facilities

The Environment Agency (EA) has launched a consultation on proposed technical guidance setting out standards for the design and operation of permitted facilities that store or treat separately collected waste batteries. The guidance aims to ensure consistent application of these standards across the waste sector and incorporates requirements from the waste treatment Best Available Techniques (BAT) Conclusions publication, issued under the European Industrial Emission Directive (2010/75/EU). The consultation closes on 8 September 2025.