Animal by-products: Incinerators
Incinerator
plants that only burn animal carcasses or parts of carcasses must be approved
under the Animal By-Products Regulation (ABPR) (EC) No. 1774/2002. They
are exempt from the more onerous controls of the Waste Incineration Directive.
However, plants which burn other animal by-products (ABPs) (such as former
foodstuffs, catering waste, manure etc.), processed products (meat and
bone meal, tallow), or other waste not of animal origin must be authorised
under the Waste Incineration Directive (see below).
Other legislation
Incinerator plants that burn waste other than carcases or parts of carcases must be authorised under the Waste Incineration Directive (2000/76 EC) - even if the incinerator burns ABPs as well. Further information on the Waste Incineration Directive is available on the Pollution Prevention & Control section of the Defra website.
Although the SVS are not responsible for incinerator plants approved under WID, veterinary officials will also inspect these plants to ensure compliance with the other provisions of the ABPR, e.g. record keeping requirements, pest control, transportation and collection of animal by-products. The competent authority will depend upon the specific capacity of the plant.
Disposal of non-specified risk material (SRM) ash from on-farm incineration
The Waste Management (England and Wales) Regulations 2006 (known as the Agricultural Waste Regulations) came into force on 15 May 2006. From this date agricultural waste, other than whole carcases from agricultural premises, but including non-SRM ash from pig and poultry carcasses derived from on-farm incineration is considered to be a controlled waste, and must be disposed of as such.
In the case of non-SRM ash from on-farm incineration this should be via licensed landfill. Farmers who want to dispose of such ash on-farm must apply for a waste management licence (issued by the Environment Agency). The Regulations contain transitional provisions which allow 12 months to apply for such a licence.
However, Member States have discretion under the Waste Framework Directive to provide exemptions from the licencing requirement. A number of exemptions are already available. During the 12 month transitional period, there will be another consultation on several additional exemptions- one of which will be to allow such non-SRM ash to be spread to land for agricultural benefit. A decision on this possible exemption will be made before the 12 month transitional period is over.
During the 12 month transitional period farmers wishing to spread non-SRM ash to land should contact their local Environment Agency office, either via the Environment Agency’s general helpline on 08708 506 506, or through their website for advice. The Environment Agency can also tell them which landfill sites in their local area can accept carcase ash for disposal.
Guidance on ABP incineration plants
Guidance note for high-capacity
incineration plants 
(75 KB): Controls on high capacity incinerators and guidance for SVS approvals.
Guidance note for low-capacity
incineration plants
(94 KB): Controls on low capacity incinerators and guidance for SVS approvals.
The regulations covering low capacity incinerators apply to most incinerators
on farms, at hunt kennels and knackers' yards, and at pet crematoria.
Low capacity type approved
incinerators
(20 KB): These incinerators (when operated in accordance with the manufacturer's
instructions) have been approved by the SVS on behalf of Defra as capable
of meeting the requirements of the ABPR. Type approval can be revoked
as well as granted. Please note this is not an exhaustive list, as various
individual incinerators have also been approved on a case by case basis.
This list is subject to change as/when further models are approved/revoked.
Please note that low-capacity incinerators may only burn Category 1 material (such as SRM) if the incinerator has an afterburner. Not all of the incinerators on this list are equipped with afterburners.
Page last modified:
9 June, 2008