T6: treating waste wood and plant matter
Source: gov.uk (2025-07-21)

T6 exemption allows you to chip, shred, pulverise or cut waste wood and plant matter to make it suitable for a specific purpose.

There’s a charge for most waste exemptions

This exemption is in band 1. Read waste exemption charges (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/waste-exemptions-how-to-choose-register-and-pay/waste-exemption-charges) to find out what the charges and charging bands are.

Use this exemption to chip, shred, pulverise and cut waste wood so that it is suitable to make products such as:
- mulch
- panel board
- fuel
- surfacing for tracks and paths
Waste treated under T6 must be suitable for its intended purpose. For example, you cannot shred chemically treated wood to make animal bedding or compost.

When you do not need a T6 exemption

Some activities that involve chipping, shredding, pulverising or cutting wood or plant matter do not need a T6 exemption. Check whether you need the exemption before you register it.

Virgin wood and land management

Virgin wood means trees and branches resulting from forestry work or management of land, gardens and parks. Virgin wood is not classed as waste.

You do not need a T6 to chip, shred, pulverise or cut virgin wood.

You do not need a T6 for shredding twigs and leaves associated with tree surgery, or for clearing ground cover such as brambles, if it’s either:
- left there to benefit the ecosystem
- shredded for transporting elsewhere
Aerobic composting and anaerobic digestion

You do not need a T6 if you’ve registered T23, T24 or T25 exemptions and you plan to chip or shred waste at the site of the exemption.

See:
- T23 – aerobic composting (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/waste-exemption-t23-aerobic-composting-and-associated-prior-treatment)
- T24 – anaerobic digestion on farms (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/waste-exemption-t24-anaerobic-digestion-at-premises-used-for-agriculture-and-burning-resulting-biogas)
- T25 – anaerobic digestion not done on a farm (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/waste-exemption-t25-anaerobic-digestion-at-premises-not-used-for-agriculture-and-burning-resulting-biogas)
Activities that need a T6 exemption

You need a T6 exemption to:
- chip untreated waste wood, for example for fuel in a boiler
- cut waste wood into a suitable size, for example for manufacturing into chipboard
- bring in waste wood and waste plant matter from another site
- treat chemically treated waste wood that will be used as fuel in specialised incineration (see Industrial Emissions Directive, Chapter IV (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eudr/2010/75/chapter/IV/2011-01-06)) or panel board manufacturing
Chemically treated waste wood is waste wood that’s been preserved, varnished, coated, painted or exposed to chemicals.

Check if you need other permits

You must comply with other rules that apply to your activity.

You will need an environmental permit (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-if-you-need-an-environmental-permit) or a different exemption if you want to treat or store:
- waste that is not listed in this exemption
- more waste than is allowed for each activity
Activities you cannot carry out

You cannot use a T6 to:
- sort waste wood or waste plant tissue from other types of waste
- treat wood that has been sorted from mixed sources at a waste treatment facility
- treat waste that’s intended for landfill or incineration (unless at a permitted R1-accredited incinerator)
- treat wood that is hazardous waste (https://www.gov.uk/dispose-hazardous-waste) due to chemical treatments
Conditions: types and amounts of waste

There are conditions around the types and amounts of waste you can chip, shred, pulverise or cut.

The waste must:
- match the waste codes and descriptions
- not exceed the amount allowed
Types of waste allowed

Maximum amount you can treat and store

You can treat or store up to 500 tonnes of waste over any 7-day period.

You can store waste for up to 3 months after chipping, shredding, pulverising or cutting.

Register a T6 waste exemption

You must register with the Environment Agency.

You can register and pay through the waste exemption service (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/register-your-waste-exemptions).

Charities register by phone

Charities do not pay for waste exemptions. If you’re a charity you’ll need to phone the Environment Agency to register your exemptions free of charge.

Registration rules

You cannot:
- have more than one of the same exemption at a site, at the same time
- register an exemption if it’s already been registered at the site by another business
- renew your registration more than one month before the 3-year registration period ends
Charges for registering a T6 waste exemption

You’ll pay:
- band 1 compliance charge for a T6 exemption
- a registration charge for one or more exemptions at a time
You may get a discount on the compliance charge if you register other exemptions at the same time.

See waste exemption charges (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/waste-exemptions-how-to-choose-register-and-pay/waste-exemption-charges) to find out what the charges are.

Read waste exemptions guidance (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/waste-exemptions-how-to-choose-register-and-pay) in full.

Related exemptions

You can use chipped, shredded, pulverised or cut waste wood with these exemptions:

U1 – using waste in construction (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/u1-waste-exemption-use-of-waste-in-construction)

U4 – burning waste as fuel in a small appliance (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/waste-exemption-u4-burning-of-waste-as-a-fuel-in-a-small-appliance)

U8 – using waste for a specified purpose (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/waste-exemption-u8-using-waste-for-a-specified-purpose)

U9 – using waste to manufacture finished goods (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/waste-exemption-u9-using-waste-to-manufacture-finished-goods)

U12 – using mulch (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/waste-exemption-u12-using-mulch)

U13 – spreading plant matter to control the growth of weeds or provide nutrients or organic matters to soils (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/waste-exemption-u13-spreading-plant-matter-to-provide-benefits)

Contact the Environment Agency

General enquiries

National Customer Contact Centre PO Box 544RotherhamS60 1BY

Email xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx)

Telephone 03708 506 506

Telephone from outside the UK (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm GMT) xx-xxxx-xxxx

Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.