Checked on 8 October 2026
The core UK landfill Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC) limits remain those established under Council Decision 2003/33/EC. No later revision to the standard leaching limits below was identified in the official sources reviewed. Current Environment Agency guidance continues to direct operators to the Decision’s annex for the applicable values. Environment Agency: Accept the right waste
For environmental professionals, the key distinction is between numerical limits, changes to operational guidance, and updates to standards databases. An update to one does not necessarily change the others.
Key takeaways
- The core WAC leaching limits remain unchanged. No later revision to the standard values was identified in the official sources reviewed as of 8 October 2026.
- Recent guidance updates did not introduce new numerical limits. Changes in 2023 and 2025 addressed waste acceptance procedures and wider landfill management.
- Choose the correct acceptance category. The limits for stable, non-reactive hazardous waste cells do not apply to every non-hazardous landfill.
- Check the testing basis. The article’s leaching limits apply at L/S 10 and are expressed in mg/kg of dry waste.
- WAC testing does not classify waste. Establish whether waste is hazardous or non-hazardous separately, then assess landfill acceptance and permit requirements.
The table below summarises the standard leaching limits at a liquid-to-solid ratio of 10 litres per kilogram (L/S 10). Values are mg/kg of dry waste, representing the amount released during testing—not the total concentration in the solid material.
| Parameter | Inert waste | SNRHW cells* | Hazardous waste |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenic | 0.5 | 2 | 25 |
| Barium | 20 | 100 | 300 |
| Cadmium | 0.04 | 1 | 5 |
| Chromium, total | 0.5 | 10 | 70 |
| Copper | 2 | 50 | 100 |
| Mercury | 0.01 | 0.2 | 2 |
| Molybdenum | 0.5 | 10 | 30 |
| Nickel | 0.4 | 10 | 40 |
| Lead | 0.5 | 10 | 50 |
| Antimony | 0.06 | 0.7 | 5 |
| Selenium | 0.1 | 0.5 | 7 |
| Zinc | 4 | 50 | 200 |
| Chloride | 800 | 15,000 | 25,000 |
| Fluoride | 10 | 150 | 500 |
| Sulphate | 1,000 | 20,000 | 50,000 |
| Phenol index | 1 | — | — |
| Dissolved organic carbon | 500 | 800 | 1,000 |
| Total dissolved solids | 4,000 | 60,000 | 100,000 |
“SNRHW cells” covers stable, non-reactive hazardous waste and non-hazardous waste deposited in the same cells. These are not general limits for every non-hazardous landfill. A dash means no limit is specified in the corresponding table.
Total dissolved solids can replace chloride and sulphate measurements. Specific sulphate and dissolved-organic-carbon exceptions also apply. Council Decision 2003/33/EC, Annex sections 2.1–2.4
These leaching values are only part of the acceptance assessment. Waste composition, physical stability and other requirements also matter. England and Wales, for example, specify an inert-waste limit of 100 mg/kg for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and additional criteria for monolithic waste. Always check the applicable national requirements and receiving site’s permit. Environmental Permitting Regulations 2016, Schedule 10
The original Decision was adopted on 19 December 2002 and published on 16 January 2003. Its acceptance criteria were required to apply by 16 July 2005. That is the implementation date for the original limits, rather than a recent numerical update. Council Decision, Articles 7–8; UK Parliament: implementation timetable
The 26 February 2022 date in the supplied legislation link should not be presented as evidence that the limits changed on that day. A dated legislation view alone does not establish an amendment date.
The clearly documented recent changes concern guidance in England:
- 29 June 2023: the Environment Agency revised its Accept the right waste chapter, simplifying its structure and adding information on pre-acceptance checks, sampling standards and sample retention.
- 14 May 2025: the wider landfill manual was updated on engineering, odour management, leachate and groundwater risk assessment. The update record does not announce replacement WAC concentration limits.
These dates describe guidance revisions, not a new numerical WAC table. Environment Agency: landfill guidance update history
In practice, classify the waste before assessing its suitability for a particular landfill. WAC results must not be used to decide whether waste is hazardous or non-hazardous. Environment Agency: waste classification responsibilities
ESdat has recently compiled updated standards across North America, Europe, and Australia. These updates allow users to seamlessly apply current guideline values, automate compliance monitoring, and incorporate the latest standards into reporting and decision-making workflows in ESdat. Its standards library supports comparisons with laboratory and field results and alerts for guideline exceedances. Explore ESdat’s environmental standards
For WAC assessments, select the correct landfill category, match the test method and units, and confirm the site’s permit conditions before making a disposal decision.
Frequently asked questions
What are Waste Acceptance Criteria?
Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC) set requirements that waste must meet before a particular class of landfill can accept it. They include limits on substances released during leaching tests, alongside composition and other acceptance requirements. Environment Agency guidance
When were the UK WAC limits last updated?
No later numerical revision to the standard leaching limits summarised in this article was identified as of 8 October 2026. The original criteria were established under Council Decision 2003/33/EC and were required to apply by 16 July 2005. Subsequent guidance updates should not be confused with changes to those limits. Council Decision 2003/33/EC
Did the 2023 and 2025 updates change the limits?
The Environment Agency’s update history does not announce replacement WAC concentration limits. The 2023 changes covered pre-acceptance checks, sampling and sample retention. The 2025 changes addressed wider landfill management, including engineering, odour, leachate and groundwater risk assessment. Guidance update history
Can WAC testing tell me whether waste is hazardous?
No. WAC results must not be used to classify waste as hazardous or non-hazardous. Waste classification is a separate assessment that comes before deciding whether a landfill can accept the material. Waste classification responsibilities
Does passing a WAC test guarantee landfill acceptance?
No. The waste must also meet the receiving site’s permit conditions and applicable acceptance procedures. A laboratory result alone does not establish that the site is authorised to accept it. Environment Agency guidance
How can ESdat support WAC assessments?
ESdat allows users to compare laboratory and field results with compiled environmental standards and receive alerts for guideline exceedances. Users still need to select the appropriate criteria, testing basis and site-specific limits. ESdat environmental standards
Glossary
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| WAC — Waste Acceptance Criteria | Requirements used to assess whether waste can be accepted at a particular class of landfill. |
| Leaching | The release of substances from waste into water during contact with it. |
| L/S — liquid-to-solid ratio | The amount of liquid used per kilogram of dry waste in a leaching test. L/S 10 means 10 litres per kilogram. |
| mg/kg dry waste | Milligrams per kilogram of dry waste. In the article’s leaching table, this measures the amount released during testing. |
| SNRHW | Stable, non-reactive hazardous waste: hazardous waste whose leaching behaviour will not worsen under specified long-term landfill conditions. |
| DOC — dissolved organic carbon | Organic carbon dissolved in the liquid produced by a leaching test. |
| TDS — total dissolved solids | The combined amount of dissolved substances in the test liquid. |
| PAHs — polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons | A group of organic compounds subject to a separate total-content limit for inert waste in England and Wales. |
| Monolithic waste | Waste in a solid, consolidated form, assessed using applicable criteria for that form. |
Definitions reflect the Council Decision’s annex and England and Wales’ additional acceptance requirements.
Recommended Reading for UK Waste Acceptance Criteria
Environmental Compliance Insights: Key Statistics and Trends Across the US, Canada, UK, and Australia
What is UK Water Framework Directive: Technical report on Groundwater Hazardous Substances?
What are UK Environmental Quality Standards for Freshwaters?
How Governments Use Environmental Data Management Systems to Improve Monitoring, Compliance and Public Trust
Best Environmental Data Management for Compliance Reporting
Environmental Data Management Software: The Complete Guide
Environmental Standards Databases Explained
Environmental Monitoring Data Management: The Complete Guide
Best Environmental Data Management Software: ESdat vs EQuIS, GAEA EDMS, Locus EIM and DataSight
