Inert Landfill

An Inert Landfill can only accept Inert Waste that meets the definition of inert in the legislation [1] and the relevant Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC) [2]. The legislation provides a list of Inert Waste that can be accepted without testing where there is confidence that the waste is not contaminated, all other Inert Waste must be tested to demonstrate that they meet the leaching limit values given in the legislation.

This type of infrastructure provides the overview of Inert Landfill facilities for the UK, linking to individual pages for each facility that provides greater detail.

Overview

Inert Landfill facilities dispose of primarily soils, subsoils and certain construction and demolition wastes that meet the relevant WAC. They historically have played a significant role in the disposal of soil from construction projects (i.e. foundations) and the restoration of quarries used to win minerals (i.e. sand and gravel) back to agricultural use. Inert waste materials are increasingly being used for engineering projects and for recycling via washing to recover secondary aggregates.

In WikiWaste, Inert Landfill is treated as a distinct infrastructure type within the wider Landfill category. This page provides a structured view across the national fleet and connects through to individual facility pages and Local Authority disposal routes.

Parameters	Stats.	Units/Year
Number of Operational Facilities	150	number (2024)
Tonnes Received	15,000	'000 tonnes (2024)
Remaining Void	13,000	'000 cu metres (2024)
Remaining life at current fill rate	8	years (2024)
xxx	00	abc (2024)