Why do you need to classify waste soil?
Waste soils may contain contaminants including heavy metals, asbestos and industrial chemicals. It’s important to manage waste soil effectively so as not to present risk to people and the environment and cause them harm. Industrial waste can include any waste arising from commercial, industrial or trade activities.
Initial assessment for waste soil classification
We’ll perform an initial assessment to identify:
- the location, area and estimated volume of the waste soil
- past, current, and proposed potentially polluting activities
- extent and degree of existing or potential contamination
- contaminant types
- soil sampling requirements.
Soil sampling
Soil sampling is conducted if the soil is:
- from potentially contaminated land
- from known contaminated land as per Regulation 62 – classifying soil sourced onsite from contaminated land
- mixed with any waste
- consist of, or partially consist of, soil of unknown origin brought onto a site
- arise from sites where former uses include industrial, commercial, mining or agricultural activities
- have had manufactured chemicals applied.
How is waste classified?
Waste soil can be categorised as:
- fill material (waste code N122)
- contaminated soil (waste code N120) where contaminants are above fill material thresholds, as follows:
- Category D – contaminated soil (least contaminated)
- Category C – contaminated soil
- Category B – contaminated soil
- Category A – contaminated soil (most contaminated)
- waste acid sulfate soil (waste code N123)
How we can help with waste soil classification
At Ultra Environmental, we can help with the management of waste soil, including:
- management
- transport
- receipt
- storage
- disposal
- re-use.
