A better deal on agricultural waste exemptions

The Environment Agency is encouraging farmers and other businesses owners to go online to register as an estimated 70,000 farmers get ready to submit up to 500,000 agricultural waste exemptions this summer.

The new digital service, launched earlier this year, has been designed to make online registration quicker and means that farms and other businesses that handle small quantities of waste, or low-risk wastes, may be able to save money by registering for a free exemption (if they meet the limits and conditions) rather than paying an annual fee for an environmental permit.

As most farmers registered for a three-year exemption after new rules came into effect in 2013, the Environment Agency is expecting up to half a million agricultural waste exemptions to be submitted before October, as the current ones expire and need to be re-registered.