Hazardous waste

​​​Managing the Island’s hazardous waste

Waste activities and waste management businesses are governed by the Waste Management (Jersey) Law 2005. The law aims to protect people and the environment from the potentially polluting impacts of dealing with waste.

Jersey is signed up to the Basel Convention which is an international agreement committed to improving the management of hazardous and other types of waste, both within the Island and when wastes are exported from Jersey. 

Waste management sites

Sites where businesses or individuals store, handle, recover or dispose of waste are required to be licenced. Waste should only be dealt with at these licenced sites unless the waste activity is low risk, in which case a site may be exempt from the licensing requirement.

Exempt sites must meet specific criteria in order to be exempt The exemptions and criteria are described in the Waste Management (Exemptions from Licensing) (Jersey) Order 2006 on the Jersey Law website. 

The application form and guidance, licensing system guidance and exemptions guidance notes are below.  Fees are payed when applying for a licence, annually whilst the licence is in force and when a licence is modified, transferred or surrendered (see the waste management fees table below).   

Waste management licensing application form
Waste management licensing guidance
Waste management licensing exemption​s guidance notes

Sites that hold a waste management licence

Waste carrier registration

Carriers transporting hazardous or healthcare waste in a vehicle on the road need to register with the Department. There is a fee payable every 3 years (see waste management fees below).

The law places a duty on carriers to suitably train employees and to use appropriately designed and maintained vehicles and equipment.

Businesses carrying other people's hazardous or healthcare waste need to register.  Businesses carrying their own hazardous waste which is asbestos waste from construction / demolition / excavation need to register.    

There are several exemptions from the requirements to register, for example householders carrying their own hazardous waste to a lawful site for correct disposal. 

In addition, it is the Department's policy not to insist that businesses register where they transport their own hazardous or healthcare waste to a lawful (licensed or exempt) site for disposal or recovery. 

Waste Carriers application form

Asbestos waste disposal

Find out more about asbestos wastes for disposal.

Export and import of waste (Transfrontier Shipments consent process)

When waste is moved between jurisdictions there are different types of controls which apply depending on the type of wastes and what happens to it. 

The exports and imports of hazardous and other specified wastes between countries / jurisdictions, for 'recovery' or 'disposal' are known as transfrontier shipments of waste.  Where waste is exported for 'disposal' there are restrictions on the waste types that can move. Some waste movements are prohibited

Both the exporting and importing jurisdiction's 'competent authority' must give their prior informed consent before any waste can move. In Jersey the competent authority is the Minister for the Environment; in England the competent authority is the Environment Agency; in Wales it is Natural Resources Wales.

The application process includes forms and specific information (such as a contract, financial guarantee and insurance) to be provided.

Further guidance on the import and export of waste

There are fees for the application and for each permitted shipment (see 'transboundary consignment note' in the waste management fees table below). 

Other non-hazardous wastes can be moved without any prior informed consent from the authorities (unless more stringent controls are required by the importing country. It is your responsibility to check all the requirements that apply). These controls are known as Article 18* or Green list controls.  (*of European Union Waste Shipments Regulation 1013/2006). 

For example, the export from Jersey to England of uncontaminated scrap metal is not required to obtain prior permission. 

Wastes destined for laboratory analysis, to assess either physical or chemical characteristics or to determine their suitability for recovery or disposal operations, are not required to obtain prior permission. 

If you intend to import or export waste, contact the Department for further information.

2021 Waste management fees

Waste management (Jersey) Law 2005 - Waste management (fees) (Jersey) order 2008 as amended

The Law