This regulatory position statement (RPS) does not change your legal obligations to get an environmental permit for a waste operation when you treat or dispose of invasive non-native plant material and the soil that they are growing in.
However, the Environment Agency will not normally take enforcement action if you do not comply with this legal requirement if you meet the requirements in the RPS.
The regulatory position does not apply to any other legal requirements.
Published 23 November 2016 Last updated 1 August 2023 +show all updates
Updated to reflect that this regulatory position does not change your legal obligations when you treat or dispose of invasive non-native plant material and the soil that they are growing in. However, the Environment Agency will not normally take enforcement action if the requirements of the RPS are complied with. Extended the review date to 12 August 2025.
We've updated the text in section 1.3 Bury Japanese knotweed: You can dispose of the dead brown canes of Japanese knotweed by composting on-site, as long as theyre cut (not pulled) a minimum of 10cm above the crown.
New paragraph in section 1.3: You can dispose of the dead brown canes of Japanese knotweed at green waste disposal facilities or by composting on-site, as long as theyre cut (not pulled) a minimum of 10cm above the crown. New section on reusing sieved or screened soils (section 1.4). Review date extended until 30 June 2021.
