Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy seeks to reduce the environmental and health impacts of waste and improve resource efficiency. The fundamental goal is to achieve a circular economy that avoids unnecessary waste generation and allows for the use of materials as a resource, wherever possible. This in turn minimises the requirement for the extraction of additional natural resources. By-products can play a key role in achieving this.
This page aims to help you to:
More detailed guidance can be found in the Draft By-product - Guidance Note (May 2020).
The concept of a by-product was established by the European Waste Framework Directive (WFD). This concept has been transposed into Irish law through Regulation 27 of the European Communities (Waste Directive) Regulations 2011, as amended.
Only a production residue can be considered a potential by-product. The initial assessment of whether a production residue is a by-product or a waste is conducted by the relevant person, such as the material producer.
The notification of a potential by-product gives industry an opportunity to demonstrate, with an appropriate level of rigour, that:
The economic operator is required to notify the EPA if they decide the material is a by-product. For further details on how to submit a by-product notification and what is required, see How to Prepare and Submit a By-product Notification.
The by-product test is made up of four conditions, which represent the requirements of Regulation 27. All four of the following conditions must be met for a person to decide that a production residue is a by-product:
The EPA has produced the following guidance to assist you with the completion of your by-product notifications:
It is important the notifier becomes familiar with this guidance before submitting a by-product notification. This will assist the notifier in providing the correct level of detail in the notification to enable the EPA to determine whether the notified material satisfies the conditions of Regulation 27 and can be considered a by-product or that the material is a waste.
All by-product notifications are available to view on the EPA’s By-product Register.
By-Product | Use | Consultation Status | Link to the Consultation Paper | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Road Planings | Enabled Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) plants in the production of reclaimed asphalt to make bituminous mixtures. | Closed | Consultation Paper Road Planings |
2 | Greenfield Soil and Stone | Developments with Planning Permission or an exemption from the need for planning permission which provides for the use of this by-product material. | Closed | Consultation Paper greenfield soil & stone |
3 | Road Planings |
Enabled Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) plants in the production of reclaimed asphalt to make bituminous mixtures. |
Open until 5 pm 7th March 2023 |
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Please follow the instructions on how to make a submission described in Section 5 of the Consultation Paper.