Agricultural waste includes both natural (organic and inorganic) by-products of agricultural activity and non-natural (i.e. of industrial origin). Organic agricultural wastes (solid, liquid or semi-solid) include: natural plant residues (e.g. cereal straw) and animal residues (animal urine and faeces, poultry manure, litter, etc.).
The main non-natural agricultural residues include: fertiliser packaging, seed packaging, plant protection products and other agricultural chemicals, veterinary products and materials (e.g. used syringes), used protective and working clothes, other mechanical residues (e.g. oil, tyres, batteries), old machinery or parts thereof, irrigation pipes, films, non-woven fabrics, fencing, etc.
As defined in the Waste Act of 29 March 2022. (Journal of Laws 2022 item 699) isap.sejm.gov.pl/isap.nsf/DocDetails.xsp?id=WDU20220000699
waste shall mean any substance or object which the holder discards, intends or is required to discard.
We classify waste into groups, subgroups due to:
- the source of their generation (e.g. from agricultural activities),
- properties, as well as the substances contained (hazardous and non-hazardous waste).
Hazardous waste – means waste that exhibits one or more of the hazardous properties listed in the Waste Act in Annex 4 of the Act. In the waste catalogue, they are marked with “*”.
Non-hazardous waste – means waste that does not exhibit any hazardous properties and in which the content of hazardous substances does not exceed the set threshold value referred to in the Waste Act.
In the case of agricultural activities, the waste that arises may be in the following groups, among others.
Hazardous waste
| Waste code | Type of waste | Example |
| Group 02 | Waste from agriculture, horticulture, hydroponics, fisheries, forestry, hunting and food processing | |
| 02 01 08* | Agrochemical waste containing dangerous substances | Incomplete plant protection products, fertilisers, biocides, adjuvants, rinses, residues from chemical treatment of plant protection products. |
| 02 01 80* | Fallen and emergency slaughtered animals and animal waste with hazardous properties | |
| Group 07 | wastes from the production, formulation, marketing and use of products from the organic chemical industry | |
| Subgroup 07 04 | Wastes from the production, formulation, handling and use of organic plant protection products (except 02 01 08 and 02 01 09), wood preservatives (except 03 02) and other biocides | |
| 07 04 80* | Out-of-date plant protection products | |
| Group 08 | Wastes from the manufacture, formulation, marketing and use of coatings (paints, varnishes, ceramic enamels), putty, adhesives, sealants and printing inks | |
| 08 01 11* | Waste paint and varnish containing organic solvents or other dangerous substances | |
| Group 13 | Waste oils and liquid fuel wastes | |
| 13 02 08* | Other engine, gear and lubricating oils | Waste oils – mineral or synthetic lubricating or industrial oils which have become unfit for the use for which they were originally intended, in particular used combustion engine oils and gear oils, lubricating oils, turbine oils and hydraulic oils. |
| 13 07 03* | Other fuels (including mixtures) | |
| Group 15 | Packaging wastes; absorbents, wiping cloths, filter materials and protective clothing not otherwise specified | |
| 15 01 10* | Packaging containing residues of or with hazardous substances polluted | Packaging for pesticides, packaging for biocides, packaging for oils, fuels, medicines, paints and solvents |
| 15 01 11* | Metal packaging containing hazardous porous structural reinforcement elements (e.g. asbestos), including empty pressure containers | Aerosols from greases, paints, agrochemicals and biocides |
| 15 02 02* | Sorbents, filter materials (including oil filters not included in other groups), wiping cloths (e.g. rags, cloths) and protective clothing contaminated with hazardous substances (e.g. PCB) | among others. protective overalls, gloves, masks used during chemical treatments, worn rubber boots sorbent used to clean up liquid chemical spills |
| Group 16 | Wastes not included in other groups | |
| 16 01 04* | Used or unserviceable vehicles. | Vehicles that have not been drained of operating fluids, i.e. fuel, oil |
| 16 01 07* | Oil filters | |
| 16 02 11* | Discarded equipment containing CFCs, HCFCs, HFCs | Refrigerators, freezers |
| 16 02 13* | Discarded equipment containing hazardous components other than those mentioned in 16 02 09 to 16 02 12 | Including fluorescent lamps, UV lamps, monitors |
| 16 06 01* | Lead batteries and accumulators | |
| Group 17 | Wastes from construction, repair and dismantling of buildings and road infrastructure (including soil and soil from contaminated sites) | |
| 17 06 01* | Insulation materials containing asbestos | Roof coverings containing asbestos |
Non-hazardous waste
| Waste code | Type of waste | Example |
| Group 02 | Waste from agriculture, horticulture, hydroponics, fisheries, forestry, hunting and food processing | |
| 02 01 01 | Washing and cleaning deposits | |
| 02 01 02 | Waste animal tissue | |
| 02 01 03 | Waste vegetable matter | |
| 02 01 06 | Animal faeces | |
| 02 01 09 | Agrochemical wastes other than those mentioned in 02 01 08 | |
| 02 01 10 | Metal waste | Fences, machine parts |
| 02 01 81 | Fallen animals and animal waste constituting specified risk and high risk material other than those mentioned in 02 01 80 | |
| 02 01 82 | Fallen and emergency slaughtered animals | |
| Group 07 | Wastes from the production, preparation, handling and use of products from the organic chemical industry | |
| 07 04 81 | Expired plant protection products other than those mentioned in 07 04 80 | |
| Group 15 | Packaging waste; absorbents, wiping cloths, filter materials and protective clothing not otherwise specified | |
| 15 01 01 | Paper and cardboard packaging | Bulk cartons |
| 15 01 02 | Plastic packaging | Haylage film, big bags, liquid fertiliser canisters |
| 15 01 03 | Wood packaging | Pallets |
| 15 01 04 | Metal packaging | Barrels, canisters |
| 15 01 05 | Multi-material packaging | |
| 15 01 07 | Glass packaging | |
| 15 02 03 | Sorbents, filter materials, wiping cloths (e.g. rags, cloths) and protective clothing other than those mentioned in 15 02 02 | Protective clothing not contaminated with hazardous substances |
| Subgroup 16 01 | Used or unserviceable vehicles (including machinery off-highway), waste from dismantling, servicing and maintenance of vehicles (excluding groups 13 and 14 and subgroups 16 06 and 16 08) | |
| 16 01 03 | Used tyres | |
| 16 01 06 | Used or unserviceable vehicles not containing liquids and other hazardous elements | |
| 16 02 14 | Discarded equipment other than those mentioned in 16 02 09 to 16 02 13 | Printers, readers, computers |
| Group 17 | Waste from construction, renovation and dismantling of buildings and road infrastructure (including soil and earth from contaminated sites) | |
| 17 01 01 | Concrete wastes and concrete rubble from demolition and renovation | |
| 18 02 | Waste from veterinary examination, diagnosis, treatment and prevention | |
| 18 02 01 | Surgical and treatment instruments and their residues (excluding 18 02 02) | |
| 18 02 02* | Other wastes that contain viable pathogenic micro-organisms or their toxins or other forms capable of transmitting genetic material which are known or reliably believed to cause disease in humans or animals |
The above list is not exhaustive of all the types of waste that can be generated on a farm.
The farm is required to obtain a waste generation decision if it generates waste (according to the Act):
- with a mass greater than 1 Mg (1 tonne) per year – in the case of hazardous waste, or
- of more than 5,000 Mg (5,000 tonnes) per year – for non-hazardous waste.
When dealing with waste, it is important to remember that:
- waste can be handed over to a company that holds a waste collection permit, a waste processing permit or an entry in the register of the Marshal of the Voivodship (concerning e.g. batteries and accumulators, waste oils, etc.). With the transfer of waste to the waste collector, we transfer the responsibility for waste management to him,
- the transfer of waste to the transporter does not relieve the waste producer of its responsibility for the subsequent management of the waste by the subsequent holder. The waste transporter shall issue a Waste Transfer Note in accordance with the specimen in the Waste Act.
Handing over waste to an entity not authorised to collect, process waste, results in criminal liability, according to the Waste Act: “Whoever, being the holder of waste, orders, contrary to the provision of Article 27(2), the management of waste to entities which have not obtained the required decisions or the required entry in the register, shall be liable to a custodial sentence or a fine.”
Additional details on waste in the Regulation of the Minister of the Environment of 9 December 2014 on the waste catalogue (Journal of Laws 2014, item 1923) dziennikustaw.gov.pl/du/2014/1923/1