UK regulations we track
This is the landscape we're mapping against. Every law below is already in force; the badge shows whether Renewmere's checker scores it today, not whether the law itself is active.
Coverage snapshot
2025
most recent
8
sectors mapped
25
scored today
1981
Scored todayProtection for wild species, nests, SSSIs, and habitats — scored together with the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017.
1989
Scored todayRegistration requirement when a business carries its own waste.
1990
Scored todayDuty of Care — using a registered waste carrier, with documentation.
1990
Scored todayLocal-authority controls on noise, smoke, fumes, and odour — includes construction site noise consents under the Control of Pollution Act 1974.
2016
Scored todayUnpermitted pollution of a river, ditch, or groundwater — recodified from Water Resources Act 1991 s.85 (repealed 2010) into the Environmental Permitting Regulations 2016.
1991
Scored todayTrade effluent discharge consent into the public sewer.
1993
Scored todaySmoke control areas, dark smoke offences, and chimney height requirements.
1995
Scored todayLiability awareness for historic land contamination — mainly relevant when buying, selling, or developing land.
1996
Scored todayTax charged per tonne of waste sent to landfill — mostly paid indirectly via your contractor.
2002
Scored todayControls on storing and handling hazardous substances.
2003
Scored todayDepollution and recycling duties for scrap vehicles.
2005
Scored todayConsignment notes and correct handling for hazardous waste.
2008
Not yet scoredThe legally binding UK net zero and carbon budget framework — binds government, not individual businesses directly (see SECR/UK ETS for the business-facing rules it underpins).
2009
Scored todayCorrect disposal, plus take-back and producer duties where they apply.
2010
Not yet scoredAmbient air quality limits — a duty on government and local authorities to monitor and achieve, not a direct obligation on individual businesses.
2013
Scored todayWEEE — take-back and disposal duties for electrical goods.
2015
Scored todayNVZ farming rules limiting agricultural water pollution (England).
2015
Scored todayF-Gas — leak checks, records, and certified contractors for refrigerants (also covers Ozone-Depleting Substances equipment).
2015
Scored todayCOMAH — storage of dangerous substances above threshold.
2015
Not yet scoredStrict-liability remediation duty once damage from your activity crosses a "significant adverse effect" threshold — a consequence of a serious breach already covered by our other checks, not a separate proactive checklist.
2016
Scored todayPermits for regulated waste, installation, and discharge activities — including to groundwater (folding in the repealed Groundwater Regulations 2009).
2017
Scored todayEnvironmental impact assessment for larger developments — scored together with Biodiversity Net Gain and marine licensing.
2018
Scored todayNutrient and slurry buffer distances and spreading bans — scored together with the water pollution check.
2019
Scored todayMandatory energy and carbon disclosure for large companies — scored together with the UK Emissions Trading Scheme.
2020
Scored todayRegistration, authorisation, and restriction of chemical substances.
2021
Not yet scoredUmbrella framework — its teeth are already scored under their own names (Packaging EPR, Simpler Recycling, Biodiversity Net Gain). Watch items not yet live: Deposit Return Scheme (due 1 Oct 2027) and forest risk commodities due diligence (not yet commenced).
2022
Scored todayTax on packaging with under 30% recycled plastic content — scored together with the Single-Use Plastics ban.
2024
Scored todayPackaging EPR — data reporting and fees for packaging placed on the market.
2025
Scored todaySimpler Recycling — six waste streams kept separate for collection.
Who needs to comply
Every UK business produces waste, so every sector is in scope. The question tree branches to match what's actually relevant to you.
Who's in scope
Every sector, same question tree