This policy paper sets out plans to reform the waste exemption regime across England and Wales.
Conditions will be updated on seven exemptions, while three will be withdrawn. Limits will be introduced on who can hold exemptions and how many may be held. These changes are expected to be implemented through future legislation.
These draft regulations are expected to prohibit the sale and supply of wet wipes containing plastic to the general public in England.
The ban will apply to retailers and other businesses supplying the general public. A date for the ban has yet to be confirmed.
These regulations will enable the Welsh Ministers to direct that further types of project are 'significant infrastructure projects'.
Where a direction is made, these projects will require infrastructure consent under the Infrastructure (Wales) Act 2024.
Changes proposed include new approaches to setting Best Available Techniques (BAT), expanded research and development exemptions and greater flexibility in how permit applications are processed and granted.
Lighter-touch regulation is proposed for activities including non-waste battery anaerobic digestion, carbon capture and battery energy storage.
This consultation will run until 21 October 2025.
These regulations bring further sections of the Aggregates Tax and Devolved Taxes Administration (Scotland) Act 2024 into force.
The sections now in force support the introduction of the Scottish Aggregates tax from 1 April 2026, which will replace the UK-wide levy on aggregates currently applied in Scotland.
This Directive amended the Waste Framework Directive 2008/98/EC. EU Member States are required to transpose the amendments made to national law by 17 June 2027.
Member States will be required to take action to prevent the generation of food waste and binding reduction targets are set.
Member States must also establish extended producer responsibility schemes for textile, textile-related and footwear products by 17 April 2028. Persons placing these products on the EU market will need to make financial contributions for waste management, which will be modulated to reflect environmental performance of these goods.
These regulations remove retrospective WEEE duties on solar photovoltaic panels placed on the market between 13 August 2005 and 13 August 2012.
WEEE duties continue to apply to panels placed on the market on or after 13 August 2012.
These regulations amended the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009.
Updated binding emissions reduction targets are applied for the 2026-2030, 2031-2035, 2036-2040 and 2041-2045 periods through revised Scottish carbon budgets.
