Guidance

Burning waste wood on campfires and bonfires: RPS 50

Updated 28 April 2023

Applies to England

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/burning-of-waste-on-campfires-and-bonfires/burning-waste-on-campfires-and-bonfires-rps-50

This regulatory position statement (RPS) does not change your legal requirement to have an environmental permit for a waste operation when you burn waste wood in the open at community events such as Guy Fawkes’ bonfires and Scout and Guide campfires.

However, the Environment Agency will not normally take enforcement action against you if you do not comply with this legal requirement provided that:

  • your activity meets the description set out in this RPS

  • you comply with the conditions set out in this RPS

In addition your activity must not cause (or be likely to cause) pollution of the environment or harm to human health, and must not:

  • cause a risk to water, air, soil, plants or animals

  • cause a nuisance through noise or odours

  • adversely affect the countryside or places of special interest

Activity this RPS applies to

This RPS applies to burning waste wood in the open at community events such as Guy Fawkes’ bonfires and Scout and Guide campfires.

Conditions you must comply with

You must:

  • only burn waste wood in the open during community events such as Guy Fawkes’ bonfires and Scout and Guide campfires
  • only burn visibly clean waste wood - this excludes wood that has been painted or treated with chemical wood preservatives
  • only burn card and paper in quantities necessary to start the fire
  • make sure the size and location of the bonfire or campfire is appropriate for the event

You must not:

  • get waste wood for burning from a waste management facility
  • burn waste wood in the open at a waste management facility

Things to note

Uncontrolled and excessive burning of the wrong wastes can cause pollution and harm human health. You should avoid burning wet wood. Wet wood creates more smoke than dry wood.

When you must check back

The Environment Agency will review this RPS by 31 January 2026.

The Environment Agency can withdraw or amend this regulatory position before the review date if they consider it necessary. This includes where the activity that this RPS relates to has not changed.

You will need to check back from time to time, including at and before the review date, to see if this RPS still applies.

This RPS remains in force until it is removed from GOV.UK or is otherwise identified as having been withdrawn.

If you cannot comply with this RPS

If you operate under this RPS but can no longer comply with it, you must stop the activity to which this RPS relates and must tell the Environment Agency immediately. See ‘Contact the Environment Agency’.

Contact the Environment Agency

If you have any questions about this RPS email [email protected].

General enquiries

National Customer Contact Centre
PO Box 544
Rotherham
S60 1BY

Email [email protected]

Telephone 03708 506 506

Telephone from outside the UK (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm GMT) +44 (0) 114 282 5312

Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.

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